‘Peaky Blinders’ star Paul Anderson fined for possession of crack cocaine
Paul Anderson, famed for his role as Arthur Shelby in the BBC series Peaky Blinders, has been fined after being found in possession of class-A drugs on December 26th, 2023.
In the hit series, Anderson’s character is a troubled hedonist who resorts to drug misuse, getting his hands on whatever he can find in 1930s Britain. In the recent court hearing, the actor’s lawyer explained that he sometimes slips into character to please his fans.
The 48-year-old actor appeared at Highbury Corner magistrates court on January 25th, on charges of possessing crack cocaine, class-B amphetamines and two class-C prescription substances. After pleading guilty to all charges, Anderson paid a fine of £1,345.
The prosecutor, Kevin Kendridge, alleged that Anderson was caught in possession of the drugs on December 26th . The police were called to a north-west London pub after reports of crack cocaine fumes emerging from the disabled toilets.
Anderson was apprehended at the establishment in the company of a young man and a 17-month-old baby. The police took the actor to the local station, where they found the substances on his person. The class-C prescription drugs were found to be diazepam and pregabalin.
In an effort to curtail the sentence, Anderson’s lawyer reportedly referenced Peaky Blinders in a statement: “You will recognise the defendant from a very intense part that he has played in a recent television programme. He is often recognised and does his best to please fans of the show by slipping into character.”
“He was recognised that Boxing Day and tried to play up for these people. And because of the lifestyle he leads, people often give him inducements,” Kendridge continued.
The lawyer then claimed that Anderson did not smoke the crack cocaine, adding: “He has found himself in an unfortunate position and should have had the strength to say no.”
In other Peaky Blinders news, Cillian Murphy, the actor behind Thomas Shelby, revealed in December that he would be open to a spin-off movie for the series.
Watch one of Arthur Shelby’s scenes from Peaky Blinders below.
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