Former Arsenal youngster, Anthony Stokes, 35, has been jailed for five months after breaching court orders that prohibited him from contacting his ex-girlfriend, Eilidh Scott, and her family.
The court heard that Stokes repeatedly sent messages to Ms. Scott accusing her of infidelity and questioning her parenting skills. Sheriff Colin Dunipace described Ms. Scott’s statement about Stokes‘ behavior as “deeply disturbing.”
Sheriff Dunipace sentenced Stokes to jail time, citing his disregard for previous court orders. He emphasised the court’s responsibility to protect women from such harassment. Stokes had previously been given a community payback order, an alternative to jail, but failed to comply.
The court case revealed a history of abuse. Social media posts referencing Ms. Scott’s alleged infidelity were also presented as evidence. This followed a period in 2018-2019 where Stokes verbally abused Ms. Scott via WhatsApp and email, even showing up at her home uninvited.
In 2019, Stokes received a four-year non-harassment order and participated in an anti-domestic abuse program. However, a warrant for his arrest was issued in 2021 after he failed to appear for sentencing. Stokes even posted a seemingly mocking message on social media shortly after the warrant.
Following further missed court appearances and warrants, Stokes finally turned himself in to authorities in Scotland last month. He claimed to have been distracted by legal issues in Ireland. While in custody, Stokes was reportedly kept isolated for most of the day due to safety concerns.
Stokes‘ defence lawyer argued that his client’s attitude towards the offences had changed significantly since being jailed.
Stokes’s history & Arsenal relevance
While never a core member of Arsenal‘s senior squad, Anthony Stokes did launch his career in their youth system. His most successful period came later with Celtic. But even amidst his goal-scoring achievements, Stokes faced disciplinary issues.
At Hibernian, manager Neil Lennon grew frustrated with Stokes’s inconsistency, saying, “There’s only so many times you can push the envelope,” in regards to the player.
Pattern of misconduct
A 2018 suspended sentence for headbutting an Elvis impersonator highlights Stokes’s lengthy legal problems. While talented, missing training sessions and defying managers became a hallmark of his journeyman career.
A journeyman career
Starting at Arsenal, Anthony Stokes barely got a glimpse of first-team football with only one one-minute appearance. Nevertheless, his career saw him flit from club to club, notching up a total of 420 appearances, 164 goals, and 82 assists across multiple leagues.
His most fruitful spell came at Celtic, where he scored 76 goals and provided 64 assists in 191 appearances. The Republic of Ireland international spent a significant amount of time on the pitch for Celtic, accumulating nearly 12,989 minutes.
After Celtic, he joined Hibernian FC and became a key figure, scoring 46 goals in 94 appearances. Yet, his career also took him to lesser-known territories. For instance, he moved to Iranian side Tractor FC, where he made 24 appearances and notched up 13 goals.
However, despite his ability to find the net, Stokes struggled to maintain consistent form in the UK, evident from his spells at Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United where he made only 12 appearances for each.
Stokes’s frequent moves also saw him join clubs like Adana Demirspor, Apollon Smyrnis, and Persepolis FC, albeit for relatively short stints.
Falkirk and Crystal Palace are also on his list of clubs.
Despite only being 33 at the time, Stokes retired in 2020 less than a month after signing for Livingston FC, ending a tumultuous career that often attracted attention for the wrong reasons.