Freed AGAIN: Drug charges against Pete Doherty dropped due to police mistake

Pete Doherty signalled his defiance with a V sign today as he walked free from court on a technicality after a police blunder.The Babyshambles frontman had been expected to be jailed as he faced charges of breaching bail conditions following his latest arrest.? But the prosecution had to admit at West London magistrates court that it had no jurisdiction over him because he had not been produced in court within 24 hours of his arrest.? The former lover of Kate Moss has repeatedly been spared jail by courts in spite of a string of convictions. His latest escape came this morning when Anjulika Vatish, prosecuting, said: “Mr Doherty was arrested on 20 August at 2.35am.

“This court has no jurisdiction to deal with this matter any more.” A clearly unimpressed district judge, Susan Williams, told the prosecutor: “As you know, and the police ought to know, anyone arrested for breach of bail must be brought before the court and dealt with within 24 hours.? “Clearly, that has not happened on this occasion. No doubt the police have made arrangements for Mr Doherty’s immediate release.”? Today both the Crown Prosecution Service 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 If it is done after that period the complaint has to be withdrawn.”? Source