Pete Doherty goes free, again

By Stone Martindale Aug 22, 2007, 0:27 GMT

Crackdini ..or just the luck of the Irish?EPA/ANDY RAIN

Sporting the new nickname "Crackdini" from DListed.com, the legal trouble escape artist known as Pete Doherty walked free from court on Tuesday after prosecutors abandoned their case against him for the technicality of breaching bail terms which ban him from living in London.

Reuters reports that "prosecutors admitted they had exceeded a 24-hour limit for bringing their case after Doherty was arrested in the early hours of Monday morning in east London on suspicion of possessing drugs."

Now, the Babyshambler is "required" to detox and sleep at an address in Somerset under the terms of his bail conditions before being sentenced next month for a string of other drug related crimes.

"The case has been dropped on a legal technicality: no conviction has been recorded," prosecutor Anjulika Vatish told reporters outside West London Magistrates' Court.

"Mr Doherty was arrested on 20 August at 2:35 a.m. and so the court has no jurisdiction to deal with this matter any more," Vatish had earlier told the court.

Doherty did not appear in court, reports Reuters.

"Anyone arrested for breach of bail should be brought before the court within 24 hours," said District Judge Susan Williams.

"Clearly this has not happened in this case and no doubt the police have made arrangements for Mr Doherty's immediate release," she added.

The latest drug bust of Doherty happened with another man and a woman in Tower Hamlets after he had played with his band the Babyshambles late on Sunday at the V Festival in Staffordshire .

Doherty was warned by a magistrate in early August that he faced a prison sentence if he failed to show that he was trying to kick his drugs habit.

Reuters reports Doherty is due to return to the court on September 4 for sentencing after pleading guilty in July to possessing crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana and ketamine, as well as two driving offenses.

October 31st is Doherty's next date i court to deal with Monday's arrest.