DON’T BE CRUEL Bashed Elvis impersonator asks Stokes to change ways
AN ELVIS impersonator once assaulted by wanted footballer Anthony Stokes has called on him to change his ways.
Crooner Anthony Bradley, who was infamously headbutted by Stokes in a Dublin nightclub and was never paid the €230,000 owed to him by the Irish footballer, says it’s not too late for him to change his ways — after he failed to show up at a court appearance in Scotland last Friday.
Mr Bradley, who says he’s long since forgiven Stokes (34), spoke exclusively to this paper as police in Scotland issued a warrant for the football star — who remains wanted for sentencing over the harassment of his former girlfriend.
“It’s not too late for him to turn it around. He made some mistakes, but nothing that can’t be put right,” Bradley said.
“Then he can get back to what he does best, on the field.
“I wish him well and suggest that he get himself back on track.”
The warrant for Stokes arrest came after he failed to show up in Hamilton
Sheriff Court last Friday — despite being on bail in Scotland, having been arrested and sent there from Northern Ireland earlier this year.
The former Republic of Ireland footballer and Celtic player was banned from contacting his former partner and her mother for four years in September 2019 and was handed four-year non-harassment orders after he admitted stalking.
Behaviour
At the time, sentencing was deferred for Stokes to be of good behaviour.
But the footballer later admitted breaching the nonharassment orders by repeatedly sending emails and texts to his former girlfriend and repeatedly calling her mother in November and December 2019.
He also admitted causing his ex-partner fear or alarm by repeatedly sendher ing messagbetween es
November 16 and December 3, 2019 in which he did “swear and utter offensive remarks”, and by repeatedly telephoning her parents to “utter inappropriate and offensive remarks” about her.
He was due to be sentenced last month but was unable to attend as he had contracted Covid-19.
Following his failure to appear in court, Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen ordered a warrant for his arrest in the hearing.
Meanwhile Mr Bradley now says he’s seriously out of pocket from the numerous court appearances — and says he never intended to take Stokes to court.
Instead he blames the State for taking the assault case against the footballer — and he now feels it is at fault, not Stokes, for not pursuing the €230,000 awarded to him.
“It’s our poor Irish justice system which needs to be reformed,” he said.