Ex-Celtic striker Anthony Stokes ‘sent foul-mouthed messages to ex-partner and bombarded her parents with calls’
FORMER Celtic star Anthony Stokes appeared in court yesterday charged with stalking his ex-girlfriend and breaching a court order.
The footie ace, 31, was led to the dock in handcuffs after spending three nights in a police cell following his arrest by armed cops as he stepped off a plane on Friday.
He pled not guilty at Hamilton Sheriff Court to three charges, including a claim that he sent offensive messages to Eilidh Scott, 28, the mother of his three-year-old son.
It's also alleged the Irishman defied a ban on contacting her and bombarded her parents with unwanted phonecalls.
Defence lawyer Michael Gallen said Stokes was "adamant" he hadn't breached the court order.
The brief said: "Its terms were such as to allow him to have FaceTime contact with his son.
"Given his son's young age, there requires to be a level of contact between the accused and Ms Scott to allow that contact to take place.
"He is adamant that he has not breached the terms of the non-harassment order."
Mr Gallen said three months had passed since the alleged offences and no further matters were before the court.
And he urged Sheriff Moira Mackenzie to grant bail to Stokes - now with Iranian side Persepolis FC - so he could continue to provide for his family.
The solicitor said: "He's employed as a professional footballer and from that makes a financial contribution to the complainer.
"Any period on remand would impact on that."
Mr Gallen said spending the weekend in custody had brought home to Stokes the importance of obeying any court orders.
He added: "If he's given bail he'd have no contact and would forego contact with his son."
Prosecutor Morag McLintock opposed bail being granted due to the nature of the charges.
She said: "These are allegations of repeatedly breaching a court order. Crown witnesses are not being given the protection the order was supposed to provide."
Stokes is accused of sending emails and text messages to Eilidh, of Shotts, Lanarkshire, in which he swore and made offensive remarks. It's alleged he also repeatedly phoned her parents George and Rachel Scott and made offensive remarks about their daughter.
It's claimed he committed the offences between November 16 and December 3 last year despite a court order issued last September banning him from contacting or approaching Eilidh or her mum for four years.
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Stokes, who also faces a breach of the peace rap, was granted bail until his trial in April.
But Sheriff Mackenzie said this was on condition he does not contact his ex or her parents or go near their homes.
Stokes was at Parkhead from 2010-16 and also played for Hibs.
We told yesterday how he was nicked at London's Gatwick Airport as he arrived back from Dubai.
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