The former Celtic player was handed a jail sentence after a range of offences.
Former Celtic player Anthony Stokes has had his jail sentence for drug dealing plus drunk and dangerous driving overturned after appeal, as per RTE.
The 36-year-old, who won netted an impressive 76 times with 64 assists in 192 Celtic matches, was sentenced to 15 months in prison in October and banned from driving for five years. Stokes was caught driving at 160km/h and with €3,700 in cocaine in his possession. His prison sentence was suspended by The District Appeals Court and a community service order was imposed.
Stokes was driving drunk at between 140-160km/h shortly after midnight on January 6th 2023. He failed to stop for police and was pursued as he broke multiple red lights. The former Hibs striker had a passenger in the car and eventually abandoned the car he was in and fled, being caught nearby shortly after.
There was cocaine worth €3,700 inside a sock, kept in an air vent on the driver’s side and Stokes’ DNA was on the sock. A urine sample resulted in 59mg of alcohol per 100ml of urine, which was over the limit. Stokes then pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of cocaine and having the drug for sale or supply.
He admitted to driving while over the alcohol limit and four counts of dangerous driving during his pursuit and also admitted to not producing a driving licence and not having insurance. Stokes admitted to having 86 illegal street tablets in Cabinteely, Co Dublin, 10 days after his traffic pursuit, which were bought in an attempt to “detoxify himself” from cocaine.
That proved unsuccessful. Originally, the Irishman received a 15-month sentence with a five-year road ban at Dublin District Court but was released within a couple of hours as he appealed the severity of the sentence.
In the District Appeals Court, the sentence was replaced with a suspended sentence and a community service order, but the driving ban remains.
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