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| Jail for Winehouse drug plot man | Jail for Winehouse drug plot man |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A man who plotted to offer drugs to singer Amy Winehouse so he could sell lucrative video footage to newspapers has been jailed for two years. | A man who plotted to offer drugs to singer Amy Winehouse so he could sell lucrative video footage to newspapers has been jailed for two years. |
| John Blagrove and his partner Cara Burton, from Dalston, east London, sold footage of Winehouse appearing to smoke crack cocaine to The Sun for £50,000. | |
| They both admitted offering to supply drugs at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Burton received a supervision order. | They both admitted offering to supply drugs at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Burton received a supervision order. |
| Winehouse was not charged as it was not proved she had taken illegal drugs. | Winehouse was not charged as it was not proved she had taken illegal drugs. |
| Singing incoherently | Singing incoherently |
| The court heard that Blagrove and Burton filmed Winehouse at a party in January. | The court heard that Blagrove and Burton filmed Winehouse at a party in January. |
| The footage showed the singer apparently smoking a crack pipe, snorting a substance from a card, openly discussing drugs and singing incoherently. | The footage showed the singer apparently smoking a crack pipe, snorting a substance from a card, openly discussing drugs and singing incoherently. |
| The footage also showed Blagrove boasting to other people at the party: "I've got coke. Proper wicked coke. Banging coke." | The footage also showed Blagrove boasting to other people at the party: "I've got coke. Proper wicked coke. Banging coke." |
| In the film Blagrove denied supplying drugs to Winehouse, telling a female friend: "She's had enough as it is." | In the film Blagrove denied supplying drugs to Winehouse, telling a female friend: "She's had enough as it is." |
| After the Winehouse scene, the footage showed Blagrove telling his reflection in a mirror: "You have succeeded. You have done it. You are going places. It's taken a while, but I've finally got what I want." | After the Winehouse scene, the footage showed Blagrove telling his reflection in a mirror: "You have succeeded. You have done it. You are going places. It's taken a while, but I've finally got what I want." |
| Police raided the couple's home after the footage appeared in The Sun, the court heard. | Police raided the couple's home after the footage appeared in The Sun, the court heard. |
| They seized filming equipment and found a "hit list" of other celebrities the couple intended to target. | They seized filming equipment and found a "hit list" of other celebrities the couple intended to target. |
| 'No effect' | 'No effect' |
| Winehouse was also interviewed by police about the footage. | Winehouse was also interviewed by police about the footage. |
| Andrew Henley, representing Blagrove, said: "Amy Winehouse was interviewed, and admitted she had taken drugs, believed to be crack cocaine and MDMA. | Andrew Henley, representing Blagrove, said: "Amy Winehouse was interviewed, and admitted she had taken drugs, believed to be crack cocaine and MDMA. |
| "But she questioned what they were because they had no effect on her." | "But she questioned what they were because they had no effect on her." |
| A more public-spirited person would have handed (the footage) to the police, rather than making money from it Judge Tudor Owen | A more public-spirited person would have handed (the footage) to the police, rather than making money from it Judge Tudor Owen |
| Blagrove, 34, admitted two counts of offering to supply Class A drugs cocaine and ecstasy (MDMA) and one of offering to supply Class B drug amphetamine. | |
| Burton, 22, admitted two counts of offering to supply amphetamine. She was given a two-year community order. | Burton, 22, admitted two counts of offering to supply amphetamine. She was given a two-year community order. |
| Judge Tudor Owen said Blagrove was being jailed for offering to supply drugs, not for selling the footage. | Judge Tudor Owen said Blagrove was being jailed for offering to supply drugs, not for selling the footage. |
| "A more public-spirited person would have handed it to the police, rather than making money from it," the judge said. "But it would be quite wrong to punish him for that." | "A more public-spirited person would have handed it to the police, rather than making money from it," the judge said. "But it would be quite wrong to punish him for that." |
| The judge said the couple's sentences would have been "considerably higher" if it had been proved that they had supplied drugs. | The judge said the couple's sentences would have been "considerably higher" if it had been proved that they had supplied drugs. |
| "Notwithstanding what is clearly visible in the video, there is no evidence of drugs being supplied or even used," he added. | "Notwithstanding what is clearly visible in the video, there is no evidence of drugs being supplied or even used," he added. |
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