Pete Doherty fined for having 13 wraps of heroin at court!

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Pete Doherty fined for walking into court with heroin in pocket
Pete Doherty, the rock musician, escaped with a fine despite ''stupidly'' walking into a court with 13 wraps of heroin in his pocket.
27 Jan 2010

The 30-year-old Babyshambles singer was arrested before Christmas in the corridor of Gloucester Crown Court, just moments after he had been fined for careless driving. Kate Moss's former lover was escorted from the premises when security guards saw the Class A drug had fallen from his pocket. Doherty was handed a £750 fine with £85 costs today after a judge heard he was not ''mickey taking'' and had simply forgotten the drugs were in one of his many coats.

District Judge Joti Boparai ruled that as Doherty was paying for drug treatment privately it would not be worth taking money from the ''public purse'' to put him on a rehabilitation order. Judge Boparai said during the hearing at Gloucester Magistrates' Court: ''Either this was sheer stupidity or a ploy to get more publicity.'' Some dozen fans were at court for the hearing, at which Doherty wore a dark coat, white shirt, tie, and thick purple scarf.

Doherty, of Sturmey House, Durley, Wiltshire pleaded guilty to being in possession of 4g of heroin on December 21 last year at Gloucester Crown Court. He was in court that day to be sentenced for careless driving and drink-driving after playing a well-received gig in the city. Doherty was sentenced to a £2,050 fine with £145 costs on that occasion - but as he stepped into the corridor of the Victorian court officers told him he was under arrest.

Prosecutor Malcom Hayes said the new charge was due to the "vigilance" of security guard Richard Dando who had seen the packages - worth £192 - fall to the floor. Describing Doherty's words to the police Mr Hayes said: "He (Doherty) said he felt stupid that it did indeed drop from his pocket. He has a large number of suits and indicated that he had previously found lumps the size of his fist in his pockets, and had forgotten these items were there."

Bruce Clark, defending, said: "He is a recovering heroin addict and has received some very sophisticated medical treatment. He had been an addict for some years and is a very well known, famous musician with a huge international reputation." Judge Boparai said: "That makes it even worse in a way. I have to look at the public perception.." Mr Clark played down the example set by Doherty to his fans, saying: "I have never got drunk because I was under the influence of Ernest Hemingway. It doesn't work that way." Explaining why Doherty had drugs in his pocket, Mr Clark said: "He has a great many items of clothing - suits and clothes going into the hundreds. There were residual drugs which he had left in one coat pocket. He didn't necessarily choose the coat for himself." It was not "mickey taking", he insisted.

Judge Boparai said: "You could have thought he would have checked what he was wearing." Mr Clark said: "He was coming in a hurry. He was very embarrassed and felt very stupid because of it. He has a great responsibility in relation to promotion and to people he works with."

Doherty is currently using medical implants which cancel out the effect of heroin, Mr Clark said. "It's working for him," he added. The judge said: "He does look better in physical appearance. Last time I saw him he was sweating quite profusely." Mr Clark revealed that Doherty's career was going from strength to strength, with a gig in Moscow on the horizon and even a part in a forthcoming film. He said: "This (the offence) was an accident. This was the ghost of past offending, not the resurrection."

Sentencing Doherty, Judge Boparai said: "I'm assured that this was simply stupidity on your part and that you didn't check your clothing and not anything more than that, and that you weren't mickey taking. I've also heard you are receiving treatment for your drug addiction. Because you are paying for your own treatment I don't feel it would be appropriate to take money from the public purse." For that reason she could "depart from the guidelines" and not make another other formal order, the judge explained.

She also asked why Doherty was late for today's hearing and was told that his satnav had gone "around the houses a bit".

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I've got a very similar story to this though it involved a wrap of speed and a quarter of weed - but it would be imprudent to tell it...