Stokes to be served with book of evidence next month

A PUB owner is to be served with a book of evidence in December on charges of assault, possession of stun guns and threatening another publican to stop trading.

John Stokes, aged 54, who owns the Players Lounge pub in Fairview, Dublin, and is father of Celtic striker Anthony Stokes, made his fourth appearance at Dublin District Court yesterday.

He and Alan Ryan, aged 30, of Grange Abbey Drive, Donaghmede, Dublin, Daryl Mulcahy, aged 19, of Matt Talbot Court, Dublin, and Derek Nolan, aged 29, from Seacliff Road, in Baldoyle, Dublin, had been charged in May under section 17 of the Public Order Act.

The charges allege they made a demand with menaces on March 13 to Shane Simpson, the former leaseholder of the Castle public house, in Summerhill, in the north inner city Dublin, to cease trading and “close within 24 hours”.

Solicitor Michael Finucane, who represents the four defendants, told Judge Patrick Clyne yesterday that the book of evidence in the case was not ready yet. He indicated there was consent to the state’s application for the case to be put back another four weeks. Judge Clyne remanded the four on continuing bail to appear again on December 2.

In September, additional charges were brought against Mr Stokes for possessing two stun guns at his pub on April 8 and assaulting Mr Simpson at the Players Lounge, on March 13.

Yesterday, Judge Clyne also agreed to a request to reduce the signing-on requirements of Mr Stokes’s three co-defendants to three times a week.

The DPP had directed a trial on indictment for the four defendants who are to be tried in the circuit court.