COCAINE AND CELEBRITIES!

Ian Blair

A call by Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair for celebrities who are filmed apparently taking drugs to be put on trial prompted an angry response from Britain's chief prosecutor today.

The Scotland Yard head is calling on prosecution lawyers to review the practice which means people are not charged because police cannot prove which substance they are taking.

In an interview with the London Evening Standard, Sir Ian cited the case of Kate Moss.

Police and lawyers were unable to take action after she was pictured snorting lines of white powder.

Today Sir Ian said he wanted juries to decide if drugs had been used, saying the defence that they were merely taking another substance - such as talcum powder - should be put to the test in a court.

But the call provoked an extraordinary response from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, who accused the police chief of misunderstanding the law.

He said: 'I'm extremely surprised by comments attributed to Sir Ian Blair.

'He appears to have completely misunderstood the law. The issue was not whether the white powder that Kate Moss was snorting was cocaine or talcum powder.

'The law required us to prove that it was either a class A drug or a class B drug.

'We could only base our case on one of these options. It was impossible for us to do this since cocaine, a class A drug, and amphetamine, a class B drug, are both white powders.

'The analysis attributed to Sir Ian Blair is therefore completely wide of the mark.

'Any suggestion that the Crown Prosecution Service does not prosecute celebrities is completely untrue - we will prosecute when the police provide us with sufficient evidence to do so.'

Prosecutors are also angry about Sir Ian's comments because of his implication that they rather than Parliament, which passes legislation, are responsible for the way the law on drugs operates.

Sir Ian, however, stood by his remarks.

In a statement issued this afternoon, Scotland Yard said: 'As is clear from his comments the commissioner understands the current law relating to drugs.

'He has asked for it to be explored whether there are other options that can be used to put such matters before juries or whether this requires a change in the law.

'The commissioner has not criticised the CPS, he is reflecting a view of many ordinary people about how the law stands in dealing with what is sometimes apparent and obvious drug use.'

Privately, senior Yard sources described the DPP's comments as an 'extraordinary over-reaction'.

One said: 'The issue in not whether it is talcum powder, Class A or Class B, he is simply saying we need to review where we stand. '

This may well need a change in the law but at least let's have some discussion to see if there is anything more we can do.'

Kate Moss escaped charges because police could not prove the substance she was taking was cocaine, leading to criticism of the nine-month investigation. In two other cases - video footage of Amy Winehouse with what appeared to be crack, and Peaches Geldof handing money to an alleged drug dealer - police and prosecutors faced the same legal loophole.

Today Sir Ian told the Evening Standard he wanted juries to decide if drugs had been used.

Judges would then be able to sentence offenders to prison terms, although non-custodial sentences and treatment are more likely.

He said: 'I have asked for discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service.

'My position is that a sensible jury would not expect people to be sniffing talcum powder.

'I think it is reasonable for a jury to say "You convince me that you are taking talcum powder' because it is an unusual way to take it."'

In a wide-ranging interview, Sir Ian reiterated his view that tackling youth crime was the biggest challenge facing the Met, aside from terrorism.

He spoke of the new police initiative to tackle knife crime - Operation Blunt 2.

He also confirmed he had ordered a review of thousands of unsolved cases of harassment and assault in a bid to identify possible future killers.

It follows the killing of Arsema Dawit, 15, who was stabbed despite threats against her being reported to police.

And he also attacked those who wanted to go back to a 'Life on Mars' approach to policing.

'There are commentators who want to go back to Life On Mars as the appropriate form of policing,' he said.

'There are people who want police to be street butlers and stay behind some kind of invisible green baize door and only appear when you want them... but there is also a rising expectation.

'I measure this by who wants to join us.'

(Cocaine and celebrities)

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