Time for today's compulsory Pete Doherty story.
The renegade Libertine has narrowly missed receiving a jail sentence but was given a four month suspended sentence. Doherty appeared at Thames Magistrates Court yesterday (1 Sep) where he pleaded guilty to possession of a knife. As previously reported, Doherty said the knife was a present for a friend bought legally while on holiday - he didn't realise he was carrying it around with him until police searched him.
According to the NME, Judge Malcolm Ried, told Doherty: "You're a highly intelligent young man who appears to be very successful. You have experience of prison from a matter last year, yet in June from a holiday you brought back an offensive weapon." Doherty was then told he was not "suitable" for a community sentence, and was told to serve four months in prison, at which point Pete covered his face with his hands. But the judge added that given the way the knife was found, and that it was found shortly after the singer had come back into the country, the sentence would be suspended for 12 months - which means he could well escape a custodial sentence completely. Meanwhile, Doherty was ordered to pay £150 in court costs and said that the weapon would be destroyed - the judge added "consider yourself fortunate".
Always the showman, Doherty arrived outside court an hour early, sat on the top of a car and played acoustic guitar to the waiting news reporters.