Doherty escapes with fine after carrying heroin into court

Rock musician Pete Doherty escaped with a fine today despite “stupidly” walking into a court with 13 wraps of heroin in his pocket.

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 today’s 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.