Rock star Doherty freed from prison

6 May 2008 10:29am

Rock star Pete Doherty has walked free from prison.

The Babyshambles singer, who's battled drug addiction, served 29 days of a 14-week sentence for breaching his probation. He told waiting media he was pleased to be out and was looking forward to having a rum and coke and seeing his cats.

Doherty was engulfed by a media scrum as he left Wormwood Scrubs Prison, West London.

He described prison life as "a lot of gangsters and Radio 4" and showed the press a certificate confirming he'd passed a drugs test while inside.

Asked if he'd taken drugs whilst inside, he replied: "Well, I knew it was going to be a bit rough to start with, with the overcrowding and the medical facilities although they do their best - they are good, they can't really cater for the average junkie..."

He also said: "Thank you Mrs Thatcher for putting me in the company of the most dangerous criminals in the country."

His release comes despite claims Doherty took heroin behind bars and while taking heroin substitute methadone.

He was jailed last month by district judge Davinder Lachhar at West London magistrates court. The decision came after Doherty was handed a four-month suspended jail sentence in October for possessing crack cocaine, heroin, ketamine and cannabis. The judge said Doherty was often late or missed probation appointments and had used different drugs.

Doherty had been serving his sentence in segregation after claims that other prisoners had plotted to attack him.

Mobile phone photographs of Doherty in his cell and talking to other inmates on a landing were published in The Sun. The newspaper claimed that despite being given methadone Doherty was also taking the real thing.

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