Mayor candidate Craig Clarke asked judge for private hearing on drugs charge
MAYORAL candidate Craig Clarke asked a judge to hear his drugs' charge case in private, it has emerged.
Yesterday Clarke, 39, of no fixed address, admitted smoking cannabis at Bristol Crown Court and also pleaded guilty to having 0.6 grams of the Class B drug at College Green on May 5.
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Craig Clarke
It was revealed in court that Clarke, who represented himself, had e-mailed Judge Roach, asking that the hearing would not be witnessed by the press or public.
The Post was the only media organisation in court to hear the case.
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He was fined, which will not affect his ability to stand as a mayoral candidate.
A second charge of battery of a police officer was deleted, though Bristol Crown Court heard it could be proceeded with in another court.
Judge Michael Roach fined him £100, with £100 costs and a £15 victim surcharge, and told him: "Pay by December 3. If you don't pay by then it will be seven days' prison."
Clarke proclaimed he was a man of God.
The court heard he had no previous convictions.
Judge Roach told him: "I am in a position to hold this case. I am not in a position to hold it in secret. I have the power to inhibit the press where statutes provide. There is no statute here. The case will go on."
Oliver Willmott, prosecuting, said Clarke was found to have 0.6g of cannabis on College Green on May 5.
Mr Willmott said he wished to delete a charge of battery, concerning a policeman, as that could not be joined to the cannabis charge.
He said: "There could be proceedings in another court."
Clarke apologised to the court but said he didn't believe the police officer wished to bring the charge against him.
He told the judge: "I smoke marijuana. I work for myself. I'm a mayoral candidate. I'm a PCC candidate. My income is £7,000 a year and I am debt-free."
In September, Clarke appeared before magistrates who heard that, after being arrested during the protest at College Green, he was alleged to have assaulted a detention officer by pulling his tie.
At that hearing Clarke, who refused to give an address in court, denied both battery and cannabis possession and elected to stand trial before a jury.
At the crown court the maximum sentence for cannabis possession is five years' prison and custody would have jeopardised his chances of being mayor.
A city council spokesman said: "You can be disqualified if you are sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three months or more, including a suspended sentence, without the option of a fine.
"This covers a period of five years prior to election."
In January, Clarke was the first person to declare himself a prospective mayoral candidate and is standing for the so-called State Educated Party.
Comments
by Bert_Hindle
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 10:18PM
“"Clarke proclaimed he was a man of God"
What has that got to do with anything? Does being religious make you more innocent or of better character?”
by BristolDJ
Thursday, October 11 2012, 12:05PM
“@poetpeter
Here's some truth for you. Regardless of the law on canabis, at no stage will a devious convicted criminal who could face further battery charges be elected as Bristol Mayor. How's that for some truth?”
by whammmy
Thursday, October 11 2012, 10:17AM
“This guy is just a deluded idiot. I cannot understand why the BEP gives publicity to this total vacuum of a 'story'.
The drugs issue is a complete sideline, what is really ridiculous is giving publicity to someone (Craig Clarke) who has never achieved anything in his life and never will either.
The guy feeds off free publicity so why on earth indulge him.
Turns up a court carrying a bit of dope with him, says it all really...”
by PoetPeter
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 11:22AM
“We need to stop this stupid and unwinnable war against cannabis. It is causing far more harm to our communities than it prevents. If we had a properly regulated system of production and supply we'd have no more illegal cannabis farms, instead we'd have thousands of new jobs. We'd have no more dealers on the streets. Cannabis would be available to adults only through licensed outlets and we'd have some control over the THC and CBD content.
Doctors would be able to prescribe one of the most effective medicines that has no serious side effects at all. At the moment the government has given GW Pharmaceuticals an illegal monopoly on cannabis so they make millions out of a medicine that you can grow in your greenhouse for virtually nothing.
If we introduced a legally regulated system we would solve nearly all the problems around cannabis. Science proves how much safer it is than tobacco, alcohol, prescription medicines and all other recreational drugs. If anyone does have a problem with it they could get help without having to confess to a crime.
CLEAR published independent, expert research last year which shows that a tax and regulate policy on cannabis would produce a net gain to the UK economy of up to £9.3 billion per annum.
It is a scandal that our government, our judges, our courts, our police and our newspapers keep misleading us about cannabis. Find out the truth for yourself and wake up to the lies you have been told.”
by bris28
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 9:09AM
“This wanna-be Mayor of Bristol tried to dodge the publicity but has had plenty of it,not only in the Post but on the radio and TV. I don't suppose for one second the though that the judge would turn down his request for a private hearing occured to him. Doesn't strike me as very clever or fit to run the city. By the way, how can a man of no fixed address be Mayor? How will correspondence be sent to him? If he has no address he won't have a bank account so how can he be paid?”