Celtic star's father facing additional assault, drugs and firearms charges

A Dublin pub owner accused of threatening another publican to stop trading within 24 hours is facing additional charges for assault, possession of cocaine and having two stun guns.

John Stokes (aged 54) – father of Celtic striker Anthony Stokes – and owner of the Players Lounge pub in Fairview, which was gutted by fire during a robbery in August, made his third court appearance today.

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He and Alan Ryan (aged 30) of Grange Abbey Drive, Donaghmede, Dublin, Daryl Mulcahy (aged 19) with an address at 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.

Their charges alleged they made a demand with menaces, on March 13 last, 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”.

Today three more charges were brought against Mr Stokes when he appeared before Judge Bryan Smyth at Dublin District Court.

Det Garda Damien Murphy told the court that the publican said, “I have had enough, keep them”, after he was charged with unlawfully possessing cocaine worth €200, at the Players Lounge, on April 8 last.

Mr Stokes made “no reply” to caution when he was further charged under the Firearms Act with possessing two stun guns at his pub on the same date.

When an additional charge was brought against him for allegedly assaulting Shane Simpson at the Players Lounge, on March 13 last, he said: “That is untrue.”

Judge Smyth accepted jurisdiction for the drug possession charge to be dealt with in the jurisdiction of the District Court.

However, the pub owner's other charges are to be sent forward to the Circuit Court for trial on indictment.

Defence solicitor Michael Finucane told the judge that no new charges have been brought against the three co-defendants who were in court.

The judge heard that the DPP had also directed “trial on indictment” in relation to them.

Mr Stokes and his co-defendants remained silent during the brief proceedings and were ordered to appear again on a date in November when they are to be served with books of evidence.

As conditions of bail they have been ordered not to associate with each other and to stay away from Shane Simpson as well as his brother Stephen Simpson and staff from the Castle pub.