Police to review procedure after Doherty walks free
Senior British police officers are tonight reviewing procedures after a bail breach allegation against singer Pete Doherty had to be dropped over a technicality.
Doherty, 28, arrived at West London Magistrates’ Court today following his arrest yesterday in Tower Hamlets, east London.
But the rocker later walked free after the charge was dropped because he was not produced before the court before the legal deadline of 24 hours.
A police spokesman later said senior officers from Tower Hamlets were “reviewing processes to establish why Mr Doherty was unable to be brought before the court within the 24-hour timeframe”.
“It would be inappropriate to go into any further detail until the Metropolitan Police Service is absolutely clear about the exact sequence of events,” the spokesman said.
He added that the law relating to the timeframe had been clarified earlier this summer.
During today’s court hearing, which lasted just a couple of minutes, prosecutor Anjulika Vatish said: “The court has no jurisdiction to deal with this matter any more.”
She told the court that Doherty had been arrested at 2.35am yesterday.
District Judge Susan Williams agreed that the court had no jurisdiction.
She said: “Anyone arrested for a breach of bail must be brought before the court and dealt with in a 24-hour period.”
The singer, who did not appear before the court, left the building today wearing his trademark black trilby.
Doherty gestured at the waiting photographers and then jumped into a green Jaguar and was whisked away.
The singer was held in custody at an east London police station last night and had arrived at the court building today gesturing from a security van.
The bail breach allegation comes less than two weeks after a judge told Doherty he must kick his drugs habit or go to jail.
The singer previously admitted driving illegally while in possession of crack, heroin, ketamine and cannabis in High Street, Kensington, west London. He is due to be sentenced next month.
Doherty, who enjoyed a high-profile relationship with supermodel Kate Moss, has undergone a stomach implant to help him kick drugs.
The bail breach charge follows the singer’s arrest for suspected drug possession yesterday morning, hours after he performed at the V Festival.
He has been bailed to October regarding the suspected drug possession. A 40-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have also been bailed.
Doherty took to the stage at the festival in Staffordshire on Sunday night with his band Babyshambles.
One reviewer said Doherty finished the set by demolishing the drum kit after starting four hours late, at 10pm, because of traffic.
Both the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and a court official said the reason Doherty had not appeared in court within 24 hours was a matter for the police.
A spokesman for the CPS said: “Breach of bail has to be decided upon within 24 hours.
“If it is done after that period the complaint has to be withdrawn.”
He said police were dealing with the matter of Doherty’s suspected possession of drugs at the time of his arrest, and added that no evidence had been presented so far.
A court official said he did not know why Doherty had failed to appear within the 24-hour timeframe.
He said: “As far as this court is concerned, the matter is over.”
