Police are looking for Anthony Stokes, a former striker for Celtic and Arsenal who has missed court three times.
Stokes, 35, was due to receive a sentence on Thursday at Hamilton Sheriff Court for sending abusive messages to his ex-girlfriend and her father. His defence attorney stated that he has “no explanation for his absence,” and a new arrest warrant was issued since he was nowhere to be found.
Over the course of a seven-month period in 2019, Stokes admitted to sending Eilidh Scott a barrage of abusive messages in which he called her a “s**t” and a “w***e.” He also appeared at her home in the middle of the night and demanded to know where she was.
Despite receiving a four-year no-harassment order against Scott and her parents, the former football player kept in touch with Miss Scott and her father George. Additionally, he is alleged to have called Miss Scott’s mother several times.
Prior to Stokes’ eventual capture in Northern Ireland this year, a warrant for his arrest had been issued in 2021 after he missed his sentencing date. But after being granted bail, he again skipped court.
As a result, Stokes received a fresh warrant for his arrest, and last month he went to Glasgow to surrender to authorities. Stokes received bail once more despite Sheriff Ross Macfarlane KC describing him as a “flight risk.”
The former Republic of Ireland striker failed to appear as scheduled and to comply with social workers who were seeking to produce a background study, the court was informed during a brief hearing on Thursday, according to the Daily Record.
He missed the appointment for the social work report and was not there today, so a warrant will be issued for his arrest, Sheriff Macfarlane said.
Stokes, an Irish-born player who joined Arsenal’s academy as a youth and made his first-team debut in a League Cup game, was born in Ireland. Before having his most successful stretch of his career with Celtic, he later relocated to Sunderland.
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