Doherty off hook as judge ‘impressed’ with his song

ROCK star Pete Doherty avoided jail again yesterday after a judge said she was “impressed” with his attempts to come off drugs — and also with one of his songs.

The Babyshambles frontman was told at Thames Magistrates’ Court, east London, that sending him to prison would be “counterproductive” as he continues rehabilitation at a London clinic.

Doherty pleaded guilty last month to five counts on possessing heroin, cocaine — of which some was crack cocaine — and cannabis.

Four of the counts relate to a date in April when he was arrested by police just hours after being sentenced to a two-year community order for previous drug offences.

Doherty, 27, who lives in Haggerston, east London, was also arrested on August 7 and found with a crack pipe and a small amount of crack cocaine.

District Judge Jane McIvor described the fact that Doherty had been caught with illegal drugs as a “deliberate flouting” of his drug treatment order.

But deciding against a custodial sentence, she said: “At this stage it would be counterproductive and simply take you away from society for a matter of weeks and would undo the hard work that a lot of professionals have put in.”

Referring to recent negative drug tests that Doherty had given, she said: “What I am impressed by is the negative results, both for heroin on August 21 and August 30, and both heroin and cocaine on August 27.

“That is a significant stage that I never thought you would ever reach.”

The judge went on to defer sentencing until December 4, but asked Doherty to return to the courts in October for a review of his drug treatment order.

She then told Doherty, wearing a black suit and carrying a mostly startled expression, that she was impressed with one of his new songs, The Blinding.

She said: “The Blinding is very good, but I’m not sure about the words.”