Doherty Attacks ‘Scum Of Press’

Having watched television footage of the incident, drug-troubled Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty changed his plea to guilty and admitted to attacking a BBC reporter in March.

“If I hurt this lady I’m sorry,” he said in a statement read to Thames Magistrates’ Court November 8th, but added that Radio 1 Newsbeat’s Trudi Barber is a member of the “harassing scum of press.”

Fining him £750 and ordering him to pay £250 in compensation and £200 in court costs, magistrate Helen Skinner said, “Referring to the press as scum does no one any favours. You were obviously courting publicity judging by your somewhat extravagant behavior outside the court.”

The U.K. press drew great amusement from the fact that Doherty, faced with coming up with £1,200, said he couldn’t pay because he only had 27 pence in his pockets. He was ordered to make the payment within seven days.

His attack on Barber came after a March appearance at the same court for drug-related charges. Doherty reacted to being surrounded by dozens of journalists by lashing out and kicking a microphone through the air.

He’d previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault by beating after he kicked at Barber but, according to defense lawyer Sean Curran, Doherty changed his mind after watching TV footage of the attack.

Prosecutor Sirah Abraham said Barber’s hand had been hurt in the incident, which later led to shoulder pain.

It seems fear of getting injured himself may be part of the reason Doherty pulled late November shows in Warsaw, Riga and Moscow, leaving Baris Basaran from the Istanbul-based Charmenko – who organized the shows – somewhat bemused as to what’s going on.

“At first, the Riga and Warsaw shows were canceled because we were told that Doherty needs to attend a court on the very same days,” Basaran told Pollstar.

After Doherty got in a fracas at the October 23rd reopening of Rome’s famous Piper Club, Basaran said his management came back saying that there’s a general lack of security in Eastern European countries and Peter wanted to cancel the Moscow show as well – unless the promoters were able to provide a very strong security plan.

“We book hundreds of shows in several Eastern European cities and not one single security issue has ever risen until now,” Basaran complained.

– John Gammon