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      Ex-Arsenal star Anthony Stokes charged after ‘high-speed police chase through red lights’ weeks after arrest

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      A FORMER Arsenal star has been charged with dangerous driving just weeks after a first arrest for the same offence.Anthony Stokes was held following an alleged police chase in Dublin through red lights in the early hours of yesterday morning.
      Ex-Arsenal star Anthony Stokes has been charged with dangerous drivingCredit: Rex
      The 34-year-old has been charged with dangerous driving and failure to provide a sample when required.
      Former Irish international Stokes is due to appear before Dun Laoghaire District Court at a later date.
      It comes just weeks after the forward was arrested when almost £4,000 worth of suspected cocaine was found in a car.
      He was also allegedly involved in a police pursuit in that incident too after the vehicle sped off from cops.
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      Former Celtic and Hibs star Stokes spent a night in custody following the drama.
      He is due to appear in court on Friday over that alleged incident.
      In the latest charge, Stokes is accused of allegedly failing to stop for police in his Volkswagen Golf.
      The vehicle is then suspected of driving through a number of red lights at junctions as officers gave chase.
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      It then came to a stop close to a roundabout around twenty minutes later.
      Troubled Stokes has been hauled before the courts on a number of occasions.
      In 2013, former Elvis impersonator Anthony Bradley, 55, suffered a broken nose after he was attacked by Stokes at a pub.
      Stokes admitted bombarding his ex-girlfriend Eilidh Scott with offensive text messages in 2019.
      He was due to be sentenced in Scotland but a warrant for his arrest was ordered after he failed to appear for sentencing.
      Stokes began his career in the Arsenal reserve team when he was aged 15.
      He made his first-team debut as a substitute in the League Cup against Sunderland in 2005.
      Stokes the moved on loan to Falkirk where he scored 16 goals in 18 league and cup appearances.
      The footballer was transferred by Arsenal to Sunderland for £2million in 2007 with ex-Ireland and Utd star Roy Keane at the helm.
      He made 36 appearances before moving to Sheffield United and Crystal Palace on loan.
      Stokes later made a return to the Scottish league playing for Hibs and Celtic as well as spells for Greek and Iranian clubs.
      Stokes began his senior career with ArsenalCredit: Rex
      The Irish international is due to appear in court on a later dateCredit: Getty

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      Dani Alves’ wife Joana Sanz ‘demands divorce’ after revealing her ‘pain’ over Brazil star’s nightclub ‘sex assault’

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      DANI Alves’ wife has demanded a divorce after he was arrested over an alleged nightclub assault, according to reports.Joana Sanz, 29, removed most photos of her with the footballer from her Instagram after he reportedly claimed he had consensual sex with his accuser – having initially denied he knew her.
      Joana Sanz has requested a divorce for Dani Alves, according to reportsCredit: Instagram @joanasanz
      The Spanish model has removed most photos of her with Alves from her InstagramCredit: Instagram @joanasanz
      The Spanish model told of her heartbreak after Alves, 39, was detained in custody in Barcelona, just days after her mother died.
      But Joana has now told her lawyers she wants a divorce after her husband refused to see her in the prison where he is being held on remand, Spanish TV programme Telecinco show El Programme de Ana Rosa claims.
      The Tenerife-born beauty, who married former Barcelona defender Alves in 2017, has yet to make any official comment on the bombshell report.
      Joana’s decision to erase most of her photos with Alves – except a couple linked to advertising campaigns – came after her initial show of support for the Brazilian international.
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      Alves was sacked by Mexican club UNAM Pumas after he was remanded in custody by a judge in Barcelona.
      A 23-year-old woman claimed she was assaulted by Alves at the city’s swanky Sutton venue on December 30, leading to his arrest on January 20.
      A judge ruled Alves should be kept in custody, and he has been in the cells since at a jail outside the city.
      Alves who enjoyed two spells at Barcelona before signing for Mexican side UNAM Pumas last year, claimed before his arrest he had never met his female accuser.
      Most read in Football
      However, in a court hearing, the footballer reportedly told the magistrate he had consensual sex with the woman.
      Following the footballer’s arrest, Joana said she had lost the “two pillars in my life.”
      But hours before Alves was remanded in custody, she posted a photo of them holding hands with the message ‘Together’ in English.
      In Spain, there are two types of divorce – agreed and contested.
      Agreed divorce is when both spouses petition for divorce together.
      Contested divorce, however, is when only one person files without the other’s consent.
      Meanwhile, Alves’ ex-wife has been outspoken in her defence of the player.
      Dana Dinorah said at the start of last week: “I’m still in shock. It seems like it’s a nightmare and it’s not happening.”
      Insisting she believed the father of their two children was innocent, the Brazilian-based businesswoman said in an interview with a Spanish TV programme: “Dani would never ever ever do this.
      “I say this because I’ve known him for 22 years and was married to him for 10.
      “This has been a shock for me and for my children.”
      Initially it was reported Alves had been accused of putting his hands down his accuser’s underwear inside the nightclub.
      It then emerged the woman had alleged she was slapped round the face and raped in a toilet.
      Court officials have confirmed Alves is under investigation on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman, but have not confirmed the exact nature of the allegations against him.
      His new lawyer submitted a bail application on Monday, arguing the footballer is not a flight risk.
      He agreed his client would have his passport taken away so he can’t leave Spain and wear an electronic tag if necessary as part of his bail conditions.
      The decision on whether he is released pending an ongoing criminal probe is expected to be taken sometime next month.
      Both the state prosecutor and a lawyer acting for Alves’ accuser are expected to oppose the bail application from his lawyer.
      The final decision on a conditional release would be taken by a higher court and not the one that is currently investigating the footballer.
      Investigations of the sort currently being conducted by the investigating magistrate can take months and even years in some cases to complete, especially when suspects are on bail.
      Read More on The Sun
      People under formal investigation can be held in prison without charge for up to four years in Spain, although the normal limit is two years.
      Formal charges in Spain are only laid when an investigating magistrate rules there is sufficient evidence for a trial to take place and subsequently invites prosecutors to submit an indictment. More

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      Leeds catch ‘UK’s dumbest criminal’ as shirt thief goes on barely believable autograph hunt after stealing from shop

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      LEEDS UNITED caught the “UK’s dumbest criminal” after a brazen thief went on an autograph hunt after stealing from the club shop.The barely believable incident occurred last Thursday after staff at the Elland Road store spotted a man behaving suspiciously.
      The ‘UK’s dumbest criminal’ was caught after stealing shirts from Leeds United’s storeCredit: PA
      According to the Daily Mail, the concerns “proved to be accurate when he swiped a number of shirts and raced to a nearby car”.
      One of the Leeds staff took down the vehicle’s registration and instantly phoned it in to the police.
      Then, around 30 minutes later, “the motor triggered the automatic number plate recognition system close to the Premier League club’s Thorp Arch training base”.
      That is located near to Wetherby.
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      The culprit appeared to have driven straight to the training ground.
      And the report states they “presumably planned to hang around outside to ask players to sign them”.
      West Yorkshire Police quickly swooped to arrest the male.
      And now a 27-year-old has been charged with theft and is due to appear in court.
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      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      The report added how “unofficial signed shirts are the scourge of many top-flight clubs”.
      They claim that a number of clubs have now brought in security after some autograph hunters turned up at the homes of stars. More

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      Man City star Benjamin Mendy seen for first time since being acquitted of rape charges – as he faces retrial in months

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      BENJAMIN Mendy was today spotted for the first time since a jury cleared him of raping women at his isolated mansion.The smiling Man City star was snapped walking with two pals in Cheshire this afternoon – two weeks after being acquitted.
      Benjamin Mendy out in Cheshire on January 29Credit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      The Man City star was cleared by a jury of raping four womenCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      The 28-year-old was accused by prosecutors of being a “predator” who “turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game”.
      Mendy also allegedly locked his victims in a “panic room” and hid their phones so they couldn’t escape.
      But on January 13, the French international was found not guilty of six rapes and one sexual assault against four women.
      Jurors could not reach verdicts on one count of rape and one of attempted rape against two other alleged victims after 67 hours and 17 minutes of deliberations.
      READ MORE ON MENDY
      He will return to court to be retried on June 26.
      On the day, Mendy’s lawyer said he was “delighted” to have been cleared of sex attacks and “looks forward” to clearing his name at re-trial.
      During the six-month trial, jurors were told by prosecutors that the left-back lured young women into “toxic and dangerous” situations at his six-bedroom Cheshire home.
      Co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie acted as Mendy’s “fixer” by getting girls as young as 17 to attend the lockdown-busting parties after nights spent in the VIP sections of clubs drinking £1,500 bottles of champagne, it was alleged.
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      Saha, 41, was found not guilty of three counts of rape relating to two teenagers. 
      Jurors failed to reach verdicts on three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault against him by five other women.
      Some of the alleged victims claimed their phones were taken away from them on arrival leaving them unable to call for help.
      Once inside, the women were allegedly treated as “disposable… used for sex then thrown to one side”.
      Mendy’s lawyer Eleanor Laws KC described claims he used his fame to attract the opposite sex were “utterly ridiculous”.
      She told the court: “He’s not the kind of character to deliberately harm anyone under any circumstances.”
      But during Mendy’s own evidence, he said it was “honestly so easy” for him to meet up with women and have sex “because of the status” – though admitted he’s no Brad Pitt.
      He also told jurors he would often sleep with different women on the same night, and reportedly boasted to one alleged victim that he had bedded 10,000 women, telling her it was a “privilege” to be one of them.
      Manchester City said it is “not in a position to comment further at this time”. More

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      Dani Alves plays first match for prison football team after ex-Barcelona star’s arrest for ‘horror nightclub rape’

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      DANI Alves has played a match for a prison football team after his arrest over an alleged nightclub rape.Brazilian international Alves was accused of sexual assault in a nightclub in Barcelona, where he plays his club football, on December 30.
      Dano Alves has reportedly played a match for a prison football teamCredit: AFP
      He is being held in Brians 2 prison in Catalonia, Spain after being accused of rapeCredit: EPA
      A 23-year-old woman identified Alves as her attacker to police, leading to his arrest on January 20.
      He is being held at the Brians 2 prison in Catalonia, Spain, where he has reportedly made his prison football debut.
      A source from inside the prison told La Vanguardia that “the expectation was great” as many of the other inmates idolise the Barca ace.
      The footie star allegedly told fellow inmates: “I will accept what comes. I left home when I was barely 15 years old. 
      READ MORE FOOTBALL
      “I have overcome in my life very difficult and complicated situations. This will be one more that will pass. Nothing scares me.”
      In an odd twist of fate, Alves is sharing a cell with another Brazilian, named Coutinho, though it is most certainly not his national teammate.
      However, this Coutinho is not without his footballing connections, as La Vanguardia also reports that he was once the bodyguard to Brazil legend Ronaldinho.
      It comes after reports that Alves was signing autographs for other lags while behind bars.
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      A former inmate of Brians 2 showed Telecino a shirt signed by the football star, 39.
      He also revealed how Alves has been accepted in prison and no one has called him a “rapist”. 
      Alves initially denied any contact with his accuser, according to reports in Spain.
      In a Spanish TV interview, Alves said: “I don’t know who this lady is.
      “I don’t know her name, I don’t know her, I’ve never seen her in my life.”
      However, in a court hearing, the footballer reportedly told the magistrate he had consensual sex with the woman.
      His changing version of events was key to the decision to remand him in custody, El Mundo reports.
      It came after CCTV footage published by Spanish media was said to show him and the alleged victim in a VIP area and then going to the toilet for 47 seconds.
      The woman said that after the alleged attack she was too scared to leave the toilet for several minutes.
      When she finally opened the door the footballer and his companions had left the venue.
      She reportedly burst in tears and was comforted by her friends, before reporting it to the club’s bouncers.
      Read More on The Sun
      The star’s arrest came as a second blow for his heartbroken wife Joana Sanz just days after her mum died from cancer
      The Spanish model, 29, said she had lost the “two pillars of my life” following her husband’s arrest.
      The Brazilian international previously claimed to have never met the womanCredit: Getty
      However, he later changed his story to say that the pair had consensual sexCredit: Getty
      He is reportedly sharing a cell with the former bodyguard of Brazil legend RonaldinhoCredit: PA:Empics Sport More

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      Dani Alves changed version of events that led up to ‘nightclub rape’ to cover up CHEATING, his new lawyer claims

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      DANI Alves changed his version of events about an alleged nightclub sexual assault to cover up his “infidelity”, his new lawyer has reportedly claimed.A Spanish TV current affairs programme said Cristobal Martell had made the admission off-camera after visiting the former Barca star on Friday at Brians 2 Prison near Barcelona.
      Alves is said to have changed his version of events to cover up his infidelityCredit: Getty
      Dani Alves with his wife Joana SanzCredit: instagram
      TVE programme Hablando Claro published images of Mr Martell leaving the jail after a two-hour visit.
      Reporter Dani Gonzalez, who had been dispatched to the prison, told a studio presenter: “A few minutes ago Dani Alves’ lawyer Cristobal Martell left the prison after a meeting with his client.
      “They spent two hours talking.
      “He told us off-camera because he didn’t want to make an official comment that the footballer is calm.
      Read More on Dani Alves
      “Another of the important things he told is that Dani Alves gave his initial version of events when he was shocked and changed his version of events afterward to protect his wife because he didn’t want her to find out about the infidelity he had committed.”
      The 39-year-old Brazil international, who enjoyed two spells at Barcelona before signing for Mexican side UNAM Pumas last year, claimed before his arrest last Friday he had never met his female accuser.
      He is said to have admitted to having sex with her when he was questioned by a judge after his detention on suspicion of sexual assault.
      CCTV FOOTAGE
      The alleged inconsistencies in his statements have been linked to witness testimonies and CCTV footage showing the pair entering the toilet at iconic Barcelona nightclub Sutton where the 23-year-old woman says she was raped.
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      Alves changed lawyers and hired high-profile Mr Martell, who former teammate Lionel Messi has used in the past to defend himself in his tax fraud case, after reports of the changes in his version of events started to emerge.
      Overnight Alves’ Tenerife-born model wife Joana Sanz, who had shown her support for her husband after he was first linked to the alleged nightclub sex attack, removed nearly all the photos of them together from her Instagram.
      The few pictures of them that remain are linked to advertising campaigns.
      The couple married in Formentera off Ibiza in 2017.
      Following the footballer’s arrest Joana, who Alves had accompanied back to Spain from Mexico after her mother died, wrote in a social media message: “I ask media who are outside my house to please respect my privacy at this moment.
      “My mother died a week ago and I have barely begun to take on board that she is no longer with me for me to be tormented with the situation of my husband.
      “I have lost the only two pillars in my life.”
      CLAIMS SEX WAS CONSENSUAL
      Hours before he was remanded in custody and before it was claimed he had admitted having sex with his female accuser, she posted a photo of them holding hands with the message ‘Together’ in English.
      Alves’ ex-wife has been outspoken in her defence of the player, who was sacked by UNAM Pumas after his arrest.
      Dana Dinorah said earlier this week: “I’m still in shock. It seems like it’s a nightmare and it’s not happening.”
      Insisting she believed the father of their two children was innocent, the Brazilian-based businesswoman said in an interview with a Spanish TV programme: “Dani would never ever, ever do this.
      “I say this because I’ve known him for 22 years and was married to him for 10.
      “This has been a shock for me and for my children.
      “I have two teenage children who are suffering.”
      RAPE ALLEGATION
      Initially it was reported Alves had been accused of putting his hands down his accuser’s underwear inside the nightclub before it emerged the woman had alleged she was slapped round the face and raped in a toilet.
      Court officials have confirmed Alves is under investigation on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman, but have not confirmed the exact nature of the allegations against him.
      His new lawyer is expected to submit a bail application shortly and argue the footballer is not a flight risk.
      Even if he is released from prison in the next few weeks he is expected to be made to remain in Spain and have his passport taken off him while the criminal probe continues.
      Investigations of the sort currently being conducted by the investigating magistrate can take months and even years in some cases to complete, although when suspects are being held in jail they speed up their probes as much as possible.
      People under formal investigation can be held in prison without charge for up to four years in Spain, although the normal limit is two years.
      Formal charges in Spain are only laid when an investigating magistrate rules there is sufficient evidence for a trial to take place and subsequently invites prosecutors to submit an indictment.
      Read More on The Sun
      Both the state prosecutor and a lawyer acting for Alves’ female accuser are expected to oppose any bail application from his lawyer.
      The final decision on a conditional release would be taken by a higher court and not the one that is currently investigating the footballer. More

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      Two Scots footballers who battered man on a night out in Dublin handed suspended jail terms

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      Two Scots footballers who carried out a “shameful attack” during a night out in Dublin have walked free from court after being handed suspended prison sentences.Montrose stars Liam Callaghan and Craig Johnston chased a ‘blameless’ 52-year-old man through the city streets, swung a traffic cone at him, punched him and clobbered him with a box.
      Liam Callaghan chased a ‘blameless’ 52-year-old man through the city streetsCredit: Callan Media – The Sun Glasgow
      Craig Johnston also chased the man alongside CallaghanCredit: Callan Media – The Sun Glasgow
      Police clocked the two 27-year-olds from Fife carrying out the assault and grabbed them as they tried to leg it.
      The semi-pros with the League One side had earlier pled guilty to assault causing harm and obstruction in Dublin City Centre on December 8, 2019.
      Imposing sentence today at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Orla Crowe said the injured man had been “attacked by two men who had no reason to come down a road after him”.
      The court was previously told there had been an altercation between the victim and a colleague of the two accused men at a Xico bar on Baggot Street.

      Judge Crowe noted there had been no prior interaction between the then 52-year-old victim and the two accused, and what had happened at the late bar had “nothing to do” with Callaghan and Johnston.
      Judge Crowe said this was a “shameful attack carried out by two people visiting this country” and the men had “involved themselves in a matter that was at an end”.
      She said the assault had serious consequences for the victim, which was an aggravating factor in this case.
      Defence counsel told the beak that the pair had brought €6,000 to court as a token of remorse, which the victim was willing to accept.
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      Judge Crowe said she took into consideration as mitigation the fact that both men have no previous convictions for violence, are working and are talented footballers.
      She noted that both men are very remorseful and have travelled from Scotland to attend all court dates.
      She said Callaghan was the “more dominant” of the two men during the attack, having thrown the first punch, but Johnston joined in.
      She imposed a two-year prison sentence on both men. 
      Judge Crowe said in the circumstances, she would suspend the sentence in full on condition that both men keep the peace for two years.
      She also directed that the gesture of remorse from both men was to be handed over to the victim.
      Callaghan took the stand and apologised directly to the victim on his and Johnston’s behalf for what happened. 
      Character references from the defendants’ employers and Montrose FC were handed to the court.
      Both defendants have recently signed contract extensions with the Scottish club. 
      Read More on The Sun
      They had also lost a close friend in tragic circumstances in the months before this incident, although no details of that were revealed.
      We pay for your stories and videos! Do you have a story or video for The Scottish Sun? Email us at scoop@thesun.co.uk or call 0141 420 5200 More

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      Premier League international arrested for ‘rape’ has bail extended for a third time – leaving him free to play

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      A PREMIER League star arrested on suspicion of rape has had his bail extended until the summer.The footballer is accused of raping two women in separate attacks, one in June last year and one in April 2021.
      The footballer’s bail has been extended for a third timeCredit: Getty
      He had been due to answer police bail this month but this has now been extended for a third time until early July.
      The footballer, who was taken to the 2022 World Cup, was held last July after police swooped on a home in North London.
      His first alleged victim, in her 20s, claimed she was raped during a break in the Med in June.
      She fled the five-star resort she was staying in and flew home to her friends and family, it is said.
      Read more on the Premier League
      The woman is understood to have spoken to police on her return to the UK and showed photos she claimed highlighted bruising on her body after the alleged attack.
      After his initial arrest he was later re-arrested on suspicion of two more counts from April and June 2021.
      The June allegation was later dropped by police.
      The player has not been suspended by his club while the investigation is ongoing.
      Most read in Football
      Scotland Yard said previously: “On 4 July, an allegation of rape of a woman in her 20s was reported to police.
      “It was reported the alleged rape happened in June 2022.
      “While in custody, he was further arrested on suspicion of two incidents of rape that were alleged to have been committed in April and June of 2021 against a different woman in her 20s.
      “No further action will be taken in relation to the alleged offence in June 2021 because the relevant legislation had not yet come into effect at the time it is said to have occurred.
      “This has been explained to the complainant who continues to be supported by officers.” More