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Footballer Anthony Stokes has admitted carrying out a terrifying stalking campaign against his girlfriend.

The 31-year-old striker bombarded Eilidh Scott with a string of abusive messages that saw him send 100 texts a day on WhatsApp and email, a court heard.

The former Arsenal and Celtic star labelled her a 'sl*t', a 'sl*g' and a 'wh*re' and turned up at her home in Shotts, Lanarkshire, late at night.

Jealous Stokes also demanded to know her whereabouts and pestered her mother, May Scott.

Stokes, who has a two-year-old son with Miss Scott, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted stalking Miss Scott and her mother between July last year and February.

Depute fiscal Lynn McFauld said: "Contact was made using six different mobile phones all attributable to the UK and one which was an international number.

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"In July she attended at a friend's house for a girls' night in and received numerous calls, texts, WhatsApp and Facetime messages from the accused but declined to answer them.

"She was becoming extremely uncomfortable and agitated by this and eventually accepted a FaceTime message hoping that if she spoke to him he would desist and let her enjoy her night.

"He immediately demanded to know where she was and who she was with and was clearly angry and agitated.

"She turned her phone round the room to let him see her friends and later advised she would speak to him the next day but he continued to try and make contact."

The court heard Stokes arrived at May Scott's home later the same evening and confronted Miss Scott when she arrived home.

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Miss McFauld added: "She later received a call from her mother saying she had observed the accused going past the house.

"She was advised he had attended at the side door of the house and was chapping the door and shouting through the letter box but she refused to answer and observed him sitting outside facing the the family home.

"At 1am the complainer's friend's boyfriend arrived back in order to take her home.

"She advised him to drive her to her front door so she could get in and then she and her mother locked and secured the door.

"The friend reversed out and observed a door of a vehicle opening which caused him to stop and the accused got out and asked 'what is that all about?'.

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"He started walking towards the vehicle and rattled the window with his fist before demanding to know where the complainer had been and why she was being dropped off.

"The witness was scared as to what might happen next and drove off but as he did the accused kicked the vehicle.

"This was observed by the complainer who said her stomach was churning as he approached the house before calling her a sl*g, a sl*t, a wh*re and demanded she open the door.

"She later sent a message saying 'you are stalking me, leave me alone' and later received an email from the accused saying 'sorry for my reaction tonight, I just love you too much and snapped tonight'."

Michael Gallen, defending, said: "He was working abroad and that may have contributed to him being isolated and the complainer being alone with a young child which put the relationship under strain.

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"I have discussed the detail of the case with him and he is embarrassed the way he has behaved to the mother of his child.

"He has apologised and they are both keen to put this behind them."

Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen deferred sentence until September for reports and continued bail.

He added: "You engaged in a course of conduct that caused fear and alarm to your former partner and her mother.

"It is not a case of an isolated incident but a course of conduct and I'm told that you and the woman have reconciled but have also been told it is on-off.

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"I want to have some enquiries made to see if there could be some intervention put in place to stop you behaving this way again to the complainer or to anyone else."

Stokes broke into the Arsenal reserve team at 15 and made his first-team debut as a substitute in Arsenal's League Cup tie against Sunderland on 25 October 2005, coming on for Arturo Lupoli in the 88th minute of a 3–0 win.

He won seven trophies in six seasons at Parkhead and netted twice in Hibs' 3-2 Scottish Cup win over Rangers in 2016.

Last year he joined Iranian team Tractor Sazi FC but has now signed a deal with Turkish second division side Adana Demirspor.