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| 'Fake Sheikh' Mazher Mahmood drugs trial collapses | 'Fake Sheikh' Mazher Mahmood drugs trial collapses |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The trial of a man accused of drug dealing by reporter Mazher Mahmood, known as the Fake Sheikh, has collapsed. | |
| Mr Mahmood was said to have received the drugs at the Metropolitan Hotel in Old Park Lane in a dry run for his sting on Tulisa Contostavlos. | Mr Mahmood was said to have received the drugs at the Metropolitan Hotel in Old Park Lane in a dry run for his sting on Tulisa Contostavlos. |
| Her trial collapsed in July after a judge said he thought Mr Mahmood had lied in giving evidence. | Her trial collapsed in July after a judge said he thought Mr Mahmood had lied in giving evidence. |
| The case against Leon Anderson was thrown out at Southwark Crown Court. | The case against Leon Anderson was thrown out at Southwark Crown Court. |
| Mr Anderson did not appear in court due to the short notice of the hearing and professional commitments in France. | |
| The 28-year-old, from south-west London, is expected to be formally cleared next Friday of two counts of supplying a Class A drug. | The 28-year-old, from south-west London, is expected to be formally cleared next Friday of two counts of supplying a Class A drug. |
| 'Above the law' | |
| His co-accused Ashley Gordon, 22, from Romford, was formally cleared of two counts of possessing a Class A drug. | His co-accused Ashley Gordon, 22, from Romford, was formally cleared of two counts of possessing a Class A drug. |
| The case was thrown out by Judge Alistair McCreath, who presided over the case against Ms Contostavlos. | The case was thrown out by Judge Alistair McCreath, who presided over the case against Ms Contostavlos. |
| Quinn Hawkins, prosecuting, said: "Having presided over the Contostavlos case, the position is that Mazher Mahmood gave evidence on two occasions in that case which tended to contradict itself." | Quinn Hawkins, prosecuting, said: "Having presided over the Contostavlos case, the position is that Mazher Mahmood gave evidence on two occasions in that case which tended to contradict itself." |
| Judge McCreath replied: "Just a bit, yes." | Judge McCreath replied: "Just a bit, yes." |
| Dismissing the matter, Judge McCreath addressed Mr Gordon and said: "The case against you is over. You are acquitted and free to go." | Dismissing the matter, Judge McCreath addressed Mr Gordon and said: "The case against you is over. You are acquitted and free to go." |
| Outside court, Mr Gordon said: "I don't think I have any views on Mazher Mahmood, I would say the media and press in general think they are above the law." | Outside court, Mr Gordon said: "I don't think I have any views on Mazher Mahmood, I would say the media and press in general think they are above the law." |
| It is the latest trial in which Mr Mahmood was set to be a witness which has been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service. | |
| The cases against doctor Majeed Ridha and pharmacist Murtaza Gulamhusein, who were accused of selling abortion pills, have also been dropped. | |
| Mr Mahmood claims to have helped secure more than 90 criminal convictions in a career spanning 30 years. |