Breaking: Ex-Arsenal star Anthony Stokes jailed after 100mph car chase and £3,300 cocaine seizure

Anthony Stokes, 36, has been sentenced to 15 months in jail after a high-speed vehicle pursuit in Dublin in January 2023 found him with about £3,300 worth of cocaine.

Anthony Stokes, a former Arsenal and Celtic striker, has been sentenced to 15 months in jail after being discovered with approximately £3,300 worth of cocaine during a risky vehicle pursuit.

Stokes was stopped by police in Dublin just after midnight on January 6, 2023, after a chase at 100 mph. After failing to stop at red lights, he nearly collided with another driver and was determined to be over the legal limit for drinking and driving without insurance.

In addition, the 36-year-old pleaded guilty to carrying 86 illicit street pills in another instance. On Tuesday, Judge Grainne Malone of Dublin District Court sentenced him to one year and three months in prison and imposed a five-year driving prohibition.

Solicitor Lorraine Stephens defended Stokes, saying he “is trying to battle his demons” after previously denying his cocaine and alcohol addiction after retiring from football in 2020. Sentencing had been postponed last month as Judge Malone waited for evidence that Stokes was drug-free, but traces of cocaine were still present in his system.

The father of three was backed in court by his girlfriend and mother, and he shown no emotion after being punished. Stokes pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, four charges of reckless driving, and unlawful possession of cocaine with intent to sell or provide. He also acknowledged to not having a valid driver’s license or insurance.

He was apprehended only after a scary 10-minute automobile pursuit that ended when he discovered Phoenix Park’s gates were closed. Stokes attempted to leave on foot, but was apprehended by police. Cocaine worth €3,700 (£3,300) was discovered wrapped in a sock in the air vent of the automobile he was driving.

Stokes has a past conviction for assault causing bodily injury in 2013, which resulted in a suspended sentence and a £25,000 reparation order.

The ex-striker started his football career with Arsenal after arriving from Dublin as a child. He later played for Sunderland and Hibernian before enjoying his most successful time of six years with Celtic, when he helped win four Scottish Premiership championships. Stokes represented the Republic of Ireland nine times between 2007 and 2014.

After a nomadic tenure that included games in Greece, Iran, and Turkey, he retired in 2020. According to his defense, that’s when he started having problems with alcohol and narcotics.