Anthony Stokes Avoids Prison

Former Celtic footballer Anthony Stokes has avoided incarceration following his involvement in a high-speed car chase and cocaine possession incident in Dublin. [SunSport]

Stokes was caught driving at speeds up to 160 km/h, under the iNFLuence of alcohol, and nearly caused a collision shortly after midnight on January 6, 2023.

The incident led to the discovery of €3,700 worth of cocaine concealed in a sock within the vehicle he was driving.

Initially, Stokes faced a 15-month prison sentence and a five-year driving ban, handed down by Dublin District Court on October 8. However, he was released within hours to appeal the sentence’s severity.

The appeal was reviewed today by Judge Jonathan Dunphy, who decided to maintain the driving disqualification but identified “exceptional circumstances” in Stokes’s case, noting that he is now living drug-free. As a result, the prison term was suspended in favour of probation supervision and 240 hours of community service.

Stokes’s guilty pleas included unlawful possession of cocaine, intent to sell or supply, driving over the alcohol limit, and engaging in dangerous driving during the pursuit.

Additional charges included failing to produce a driving license, lacking motor insurance, and possessing illegal street tablets bought in an attempt to self-detoxify from cocaine.

At the time of his initial sentencing, Stokes had tested positive for drugs. However, during the appeal, an updated clean urine analysis report was presented, leading to the judge’s decision to suspend the custodial sentence.

Judge Dunphy warned that any breach of the order would activate a more severe sentence. Stokes is now mandated to remain offence-free for two years while under supervised probation and must complete his community service within the next 12 months.