Paul Anderson, who portrays the violent Arthur Shelby in the popular BBC drama Peaky Blinders, has been fined for having drugs, such as crack cocaine, on him when he was in a London pub on Boxing Day late last year.
Anderson, 45, admitted to having crack cocaine, amphetamines and prescription drugs when he was in court on Thursday. He was ordered to pay £1,345 by the magistrates at Highbury Corner.
According to the prosecutor Kevin Kendridge, Anderson was at a pub in Hampstead on Boxing Day, when the manager noticed the odor of crack cocaine coming from the toilet that Anderson had used.
Anderson was caught by the police, who arrived and saw him with a baby of 17 months and another male. At the station, they searched him and discovered he had drugs like crack, amphetamines, diazepam and pregabalin.
In mitigation, Paul Anderson’s lawyer reportedly told the court that his client had not been smoking crack cocaine, but had been given the drugs by fans who recognised him and wanted him to slip into character.
He said that the actor was often recognised and did his best to please fans of the show by playing up to his role as Arthur Shelby, a former soldier who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and drug addiction.
“You will recognize the defendant from a very intense part that he has played in a recent television program…He is often recognized and does his best to please fans of the show by slipping into character.”
The lawyer went on to say that Anderson had found himself in an unfortunate position and should have had the strength to say no. He also said that his client was remorseful and embarrassed by his actions, and that he had sought help from a therapist and a drug counselor.
The magistrate accepted Anderson’s guilty pleas saying that he had taken into account his previous good character, his early admission, and his efforts to address his issues.
Paul Anderson’s fine for possession of drugs may or may not impact the production of the Peaky Blinders film, which is set to be the final chapter of the series. The film is expected to be released in late 2024, and will conclude the story of the Shelby family and their rise to power in Birmingham in the early 20th century.
