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Fans fury at Pete Doherty as he is finally locked up after breaching his probation order
Last updated at 17:45pm on 11.04.08Pete Doherty today faced a barrage of criticism from fans on music magazine NME's website, after a jail sentence forced him to postpone his much-anticipated appearance at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 April.
It would have been the biggest solo performance yet for the Babyshambles frontman, who was jailed for 14 weeks at West London Magistrates' Court yesterday for breaking a probation order.
Disappointed fans branded the singer, 29, an "idiot". One wrote: "He is a fantastic musician but in his personal life he is an idiot. It is about time a magistrate had the balls to hand him a jail sentence."
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Long arm of the law: Pete Doherty was given a 14 week sentence for breaching his probation order
Yesterday's sentence came after Doherty had been given a suspended jail term for possessing drugs and driving illegally in October.
His supervision order required him to make regular visits to court for progress reports. However, he is believed to have missed one visit and been late for another.
His record label said: "The show is due to be rescheduled and all tickets will be valid for the new date. Peter would like to offer his sincerest apologies to his fans.”
About 5,000 tickets sold out in 20 minutes when they went on sale in February.
The rock star was taken to Wormwood Scrubs prison after a 30-minute hearing at West London Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
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Pensive: The Babyshambles' frontman has showed an uncanny ability to stay out of prison until this point
The judge in his case, Davinder Lacher, had spared Doherty a custodial sentence last year and gave him four weeks to prove he could stay off drugs after he was found in possession of crack, heroin, cannabis and ketamine.
The singer's extensive criminal record includes assault, possession of a flick-knife and numerous driving and drug offences.
Doherty's long-serving lawyer, Sean Curran, said the singer accepted the court's sentence.
He added: "Pete Doherty attended court today on a summons for breaching a condition of a suspended sentence imposed last October.
"He admitted the breach - he had missed two appointments and the judge has rescinded the conditions and has reactivated his suspended sentence, although has reduced it slightly to 14 weeks.
"Pete was okay about it. He obviously didn't want to go to prison but he was philosophical."
Mr Curran continued: "He's not an angel and he will turn up late on occasions, but he did try and he was committed to complying to the probation service."
Doherty has been to prison once before. In September 2003 - when the lead singer of The Libertines - he served two months of a six-month sentence for breaking into the flat of his band member and fellow songwriter Carl Barat.
He has appeared in court more than 15 times since 2004, but always managed to avoid serving time. In September 2004 he was given a four-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to carrying a flick knife.
Judges have been criticised for giving him sympathetic hearings.
In April 2007, district judge Jane McIvor gave him a £770 fine and a four-month driving ban after he drove under the influence of drugs without a licence. She also claimed to be a fan of his music.
Doherty must postpone a show he was due to play at the Royal Albert hall on April 26.
His record company EMI said: "The show is due to be rescheduled and all tickets will be valid for the new date once it has been announced."
Scrum: Photographers mob Doherty outside the courtroom
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Reader views (14)
Well said Will!
- Al Stuart, Ealing
Haha, I love reading these comments, always keeps me amused. So some person who takes drugs got jailed. Whoopee-doo! Justice has been served!
- Ak, London, UK
I loathe Pete Doherty, he personifies this country's increasingly pathetic relationship with 'celebrity.'
Our obsession with 'flawed genius' is all very well and good when the individual in question actually displays a modicum of talent.
But far from being the tortured musing of a broken poet the output of Doherty is nothing more than sub-clash nonsense.
The fact that genuinely talented and hard working musicians are consistently overlooked for cretins like Doherty, just because they're dating another 'celebrity' and the Nazi Music Press has informed us that he's cool and if you don't agree then you're not, is a source of constant frustration to me.
The man has consistently been found with a veritable pharmacy of banned substance in his pockets and by rights should have been banged up years ago.
I imagine if he hadn't discovered that he looked quite good in a trilby he'd be rotting in wormwood scrubs with his fellow dole jockey wastrells!
- Will, London
Someone's got to do it.
- Meghan, UK
Too bad...I was getting well-used to Petie's gigs in the courtrooms of London...I always thought he played them rather well, his Houdini tricks ushering forth a great public reaction every time! Oh well, Petie, you can't win 'em all!
- Will Oliver, Winnipeg, Canada
About bl**dy time too!
- Marianne, SW France
About time too, at least he'll be out of the public eye for the next few months.
- Chaz Didragon, London
No Jenna - Pete Doherty is a very sad individual who, if he ever makes it to the real world he is in for a BIG surprise!
- Geordie, Gateshead
Good! Instead of 14 weeks, they should have given him 4 years, he has blatantly made a mockery of the whole system and I don't see why he should get away with it. If I (being a non-celeb!) was found in possession of crack, heroin, cannabis and ketamine, I'm sure I would have had the book thrown at me!
- Melissa, UK
And about bl**dy time!
- Paul, London
Pete is god!
- Jenna, Bolton
Good. Hope they stick him in a cell with Mr Big to be his new wife.
- Squiz, Islington
Finally! A little faith restored (albeit very belatedly) in English justice. But why did it take so long?
- Helen, London, UK
At last!
- Julie, Essex
