5 MONTHS JAIL FOR STOKES
Striker caged for contacting ex
FUGITIVE footballer Anthony Stokes has been jailed for five months after breaching strict court orders against contacting his ex-girlfriend and her family.
The ex-celtic and Republic of Ireland striker, 35, repeatedly messaged Eilidh Scott and her parents in defiance of a ban.
He appeared from custody in handcuffs at Hamilton Sheriff Court after causing repeated delays to the case.
Sheriff Colin Dunipace ordered Stokes, of Dublin, to be locked up and blasted him for his conduct. He was also banned from contacting Eilidh for five years and her parents for a year.
Stokes flew from Dublin to Scotland last month and handed himself in to Motherwell police station.
He claimed he had failed to return to Scotland to face sentencing after becoming “distracted” by court proceedings against him in Ireland.
He had been held in HMP Addiewell where he was kept in his cell for 23 hours a day amid fears for his safety.
Prosecutor Fergus Warner told the court: “The accused sent numerous emails, 14 in total, to the complainer Eilidh Scott accusing her of being unfaithful and questioning her ability as a mother.
“The accused also posted statuses on his social media profiles referencing her cheating on him.”
Stokes’ lawyer Jim O’dowd said: “Since he has been remanded there has been quite a sea change in his attitude towards the offences. “He clearly now realises the difficulty and upset that his behaviour has caused his victims. “He has been in Addiewell since last month and it has been a particularly
unpleasant experience because people know who he is and he has had quite a hard time.
“He advises me he would comply with any community order but knows custody will be uppermost in the court’s mind.”
Sheriff Dunipace said: “It’s extremely disappointing for this court to see someone like you, who is clearly a man of some talent and ability, who has so much to give and who has no doubt brought joy to many, to now find yourself in this situation. I find it extremely tragic.
“It is apparent that your former partner fears for her safety and the statements offered by her to this court are little short of chilling.
“You should be under no illusion that the duty of this court is to protect women from this sort of behaviour.
“You were advised when you were sentenced to a community payback order that it was a direct alternative to custody and yet you have failed to comply. I can have no confidence that you would abide by the terms of a further community order.”
In 2019, Stokes admitted bombarding Eilidh with abusive messages on Whatsapp and email.
He labelled her a “s**t”, a “s**” and a “w***e”, turned up at her home in Shotts, Lanarkshire, at night and demanded to know her whereabouts. The abuse lasted between July 2018 and February 2019.
He was handed a four-year nonharassment order and later placed on an anti-domestic abuse programme. An arrest warrant was issued in 2021 after he failed to appear over the charges.
In July 2022 he was arrested in Northern Ireland and appeared in court via video-link.
He was granted bail but again failed to appear and another warrant was issued before a third was taken in October last year.
The duty of this court is to protect women from this behaviour SHERIFF COLIN DUNIPACE YESTERDAY