Britain’s Metropolitan Police commissioner said celebrities should face a jury if they are caught on camera apparently snorting cocaine or smoking crack, reports the Telegraph newspaper.
“A sensible jury would not expect people to be sniffing talcum powder,” said Sir Ian Blair. Currently the Crown Prosecution Service’s rules say police cannot charge someone if they are unsure what substance they have been filmed taking. The comment came after a study revealed celebrities have more influence on teenage girls then parents or school teachers. Girls see stars like Amy Winehouse and Kate Moss as role models. Both women have escaped prosecution despite scandals over alleged drug taking that was filmed and made public. But Sir Ken, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said he was “extremely surprised” by the comments. “If he is accurately quoted he appears to have completely misunderstood the law,” he stated. He also claimed the suggestion that the CPS does not pursue drug-taking celebrities is “completely untrue”.