New jail warning for Doherty

Singer Pete Doherty was today warned he could face jail again after he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine.

Doherty, who seemed physically shaken, stroked the back of fellow accused Peter Wolfe's head as he broke down in tears outside the courtroom.

He refused to comment to reporters.

The Babyshambles frontman, who is about to embark on a tour of Ireland and the UK, was arrested in January last year by police investigating the suspected overdose death of heiress Robyn Whitehead.

The 27-year-old film-maker spent the last 10 days of her life creating a documentary about the musician.

Doherty (aged 32) of Marlborough, Wiltshire, said last year he was "shocked and saddened" by the death on January 24 of Miss Whitehead, the granddaughter of the late Teddy Goldsmith, founder of The Ecologist magazine.

Her mother, Dido Whitehead, is a cousin of Jemima Khan and Zac Goldsmith and her father is film-maker Peter Whitehead.

Looking clean-shaven in a dark blue two-piece suit and cravat, Doherty appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court, east London, alongside two friends for the 20-minute hearing.

Peter Wolfe (aged 42) of Heath Road, Maidstone, pleaded guilty at today's hearing to two counts of possession of cocaine and one count of supplying cocaine to Miss Whitehead, who died at his east London flat.

Alan Wass (aged 29) of Bramley Road, west London, pleaded not guilty to the charge of possession of cocaine.

Judge David Radford described Doherty's criminal record as "unattractive".

Addressing the musician's lawyer Peter Ratliff, the judge said: "When someone constantly commits the same offence the law must be made very clear. Is your client aware he could face a sentence?"

The judge granted Doherty unconditional bail.

But the singer and Wolfe, who was granted bail on the condition he sleep at his home in Maidstone, were ordered to return to the court for sentencing on May 20, when Doherty is due to still be touring.

Doherty was first arrested for possessing drugs in October 2005 and since then has repeatedly admitted possession of class A substances.

In 2008, he served 29 days of a 14-week sentence in Wormwood Scrubs prison after being arrested on drugs charges the previous year.

Back in 2003, Doherty admitted burgling the home of former Libertines bandmate Caral Barat and was sentenced to six months in prison which was later cut to two on appeal.

While his former bandmates were on tour in Japan, Doherty kicked down the door to Barat's basement flat in Harley Street and stole items including an antique guitar, laptop, video recorder, CD player, harmonica and books.

Before today's hearing, Doherty smoked outside next to a board which stated the court's no smoking policy, and then placed a barrister's wig on his head as he was snapped by waiting photographers.