Former Celtic player Anthony Stokes has been charged by police over an alleged dangerous driving incident in which police also discovered suspected drugs.
Stokes is said to have been in the car with another man when they were pulled over by gardai, Ireland's police service, in the early hours of Friday morning (6 January) in Crumlin, Dublin.
The car was targeted in what gardai have described as 'an intelligence led operation', with the former footballer being questioned by detectives as he was accused of driving dangerously during the incident.
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Both Stokes, 34, and another man in his 30s were arrested and detained overnight at Crumlin Garda Station.
During the stop, police searched the car and discovered what are believed to have been drugs worth an estimated €4,500 (£3,968).
A spokesperson for the police force commented: “Gardaí arrested two men (aged in their 30s) in the early hours of Friday morning, 6th January 2023 in relation to incidents of dangerous driving in Dublin 12.
“A quantity of drugs was also recovered from the offending vehicle. Both men were detained in Crumlin Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 and have been charged in relation to this."
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The spokesperson went on to explain that both men have since been released on bail with the expectation to appear in court at a later date. A file has now been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the incident.
Stokes began his career with Shelbourne club before joining Arsenal's youth team. He played as a striker and throughout the course of his career played for Sunderland, Hibs, Blackburn, Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers, Crystal Palace and Hibernian.
Stokes also made a handful of appearances for Ireland's national team and is best known for his time at Celtic, where he managed 76 goals in 191 appearances before deciding to move on from the team at the start of the 2015/16 season.
He also had stints in Greece and Azerbaijan, but he retired after a three-week stint with Livingston.
Emily Brown