Old News: Jagger And Richards Busted In Raid

February 12, 1967

Police raid Keith Richards’ Redlands estate, where they discover “various substances of a suspicious nature” and arrest him along with Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull. The whole thing is a setup.

British authorities – guardians of their longstanding monarchy – are uneasy with the Rolling Stones, who seem to be corrupting the youth. The UK weekly News of the World loves stories about rock star indiscretions, and sells a lot of papers with a story they run on February 5 under the headline “Pop Stars And Drugs – Facts That Will Shock You.” The story recounts an encounter with Jagger where he pops pills and lures two young ladies back to his flat. Just one problem: it isn’t Jagger but Brian Jones (whose claims of being the group’s leader confuse folks who don’t get that he isn’t the lead singer).

Jagger files a libel suit, so the paper steps up their efforts to get him busted by following his every move. The surveillance pays off when they spot him going to Redlands for a gathering where there is likely some illegal activity going on. They tip the police, who send over a squad (reported as high as 20 officers) to investigate.

Jagger is charged with possession of methamphetamines (speed) without a prescription; Richards is busted for allowing his house to be used for the smoking of hashish. The arrests are made possible by sweeping drug laws enacted in 1964 and 1965 giving authorities a wide berth when it comes to cracking down on anything to do with drugs.

Adding to the absurdity, Marianne Faithfull, the only woman in the house, is naked and wrapped in a rug when police arrive. At trial, the prosecutor brings this up, asking Richards if he thinks having a naked woman wrapped in a rug at his place is normal. “We are not old men,” he replies. “We are not worried about petty morals.”

Richards is sentenced to a year in jail, and Jagger gets six months. It quickly becomes clear that public sentiment is on the side of the Stones, and the incident works wonders in building their legend. On appeal, Jagger’s sentence is commuted and charges against Richards are dropped.

Original story from BBC

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of rock band the Rolling Stones have appeared before magistrates in Chichester, West Sussex, charged with drug offences.

The magistrates heard that after a tip-off, police raided Mr Richards’s mansion in Redlands Road, West Wittering on the evening of Sunday 12 February during a party.

They searched the house, interviewed eight men and one woman and found various tablets and substances that were later examined by the Metropolitan Police Laboratory.

During the police raid, officers took away a number of items including Chinese joss sticks suspected of masking the sweet smell of cannabis resin and pudding basins holding cigarette ash.

Stones’ lead singer Mr Jagger, 24, has been accused of illegally possessing four tablets containing amphetamine sulphate and methylamphetamine hydrochloride.

Guitarist Mr Richards, also 24, is charged with allowing his house to be used for the purpose of smoking cannabis.

Both Mr Jagger and Mr Richards pleaded not guilty and were released on bail to appear for trial at West Sussex Quarter Sessions on 22 June.

Outside the court, a crowd of young fans were waiting to see the stars but the two men were driven away in a chauffeur-driven car from the back of the building.

A third man, 29-year-old Robert Fraser, a gallery owner has been charged with possession of heroin and eight capsules of methylamphetamine hydrochloride.