George Harrison’s drug bust

George Harrison’s life has been fuelled with chaos; one of the incidences to support this is his infamous drug bust by a raid group in efforts to indict high-profile people.

Photo: Something About Pattie Boyd group at Yahoo!

A notable incident to support this was the drug bust at his home in 1969. The house of George and then wife Pattie in Esher, Surrey, was raided by the notorious Sgt Norman Pilcher of the Drugs Squad on the 12th March. This was on the day of Beatles band member Paul McCartney’s wedding to Linda Eastman. The day is remarked as one of the most monumental days in the history of The Beatles; the wedding of Paul McCartney, and the well organised drug raid on George Harrison’s bungalow!

This group of people, led by Sergeant Pilcher, was a common aggressor for targeting celebrities. This notorious figure had been known to have targeted high-profile music stars, such as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and even Beatle John Lennon, therefore his actions weren’t of any surprise. He became practically famous for targeting these musicians, and it was widely believed that he framed a number of celebrities in order to become recognised in the press. He made it his personal mission to pursue celebrity targets. In the case of John Lennon, which happened the previous year to Harrison, the police arrived mob-handed. Lennon ensured to the police that his flat was free of drugs; the resulting controversy earned Pilcher a rebuke from James Callaghan, who was Home Secretary at the time. The numerous raids were used as an effort to spread an anti-drug message, which I’ll further explain when discussing the consequences of this event.

Pilcher wanted to select a time where George would be away; the date of Paul and Linda’s wedding felt like a perfect opportunity to do so (George being at Apple during the day working). Pattie was home, and remembered the visit, which she recounts in her autobiography ‘Wonderful Tonight’. She wrote; “Suddenly I heard a lot of cars on the gravel in the drive, far too many for it to be just George,” she wrote. “My first thought was that maybe Paul and Linda wanted to party after the wedding. Then the bell rang. I opened the door to find a policewoman and a dog standing outside. At that moment the back-doorbell rang and I thought, ‘Oh, my God, this is so scary!’ I’m surrounded by police.” During the search, police found small amounts of cannabis in Harrison’s home, both he and Pattie were arrested on charges of drug possession. George was very relaxed during the situation, which really reinforces his depiction as the calm and collected Beatle. What makes this situation even crazier was that the people of the drug squad were watching TV in Harrison’s living room as he came into his house, everyone helping themselves to tea from his pantry. Many from the task force couldn’t approach George directly as they were too starstruck, but Pilcher informed the Beatle confrontationally that he was under arrest.

Authorities found no less than 120 joints in George’s residence, Pilcher also claiming to have found a large clump of hashish in one of Harrison’s shoes, something George denied. The entire house was turned upside down, with George telling the offers “You needn’t have turned the whole bloody place upside down. All you had to do was ask me and I would have shown you where I keep everything.”

George and Pattie were transported to a local police station for fingerprinting and processing. A photographer had began taking photos of the couple, Harrison chasing after the photographer to urge him to stop taking photos, to which the photographer eventually drops his camera. Harrison stomped on it before the officers subdued him.

Ref #: PA.1458330 (FLASHBAK).

The two were charged and later appeared in court, and were pleaded guilty to the charges. Each were fined £250 and were ordered to pay 10 guineas each in court costs (baring in mind £250 at that time was a substantial quantity of money). They were released on bail, though not in time to attend the McCartney wedding.

Pilcher would later be imprisoned for four years in 1972 following the revelation that he planted drugs on routine upon his victims, these victims being notable musical celebrities. Pilcher’s arrest underscored significant issues of corruption and the abuse of power within the police force. His involvement in fabricating evidence and acting in a devious way undermined public trust in the operation of the law. People were beginning to mistrust the justice system, Pilcher’s career being marked by extreme misconduct, attacking the world’s greatest rock stars.

This moment highlighted the increasing scrutiny of celebrities by law enforcement by the late 1960s. Drug busts as such received significant media coverage, as Pilcher wanted to achieve maximum media attention. The drug bust and raid on George’s home was part of a broader explanation on the counterculture movement of the 1960s and an anti-drug protest debate. Drug usage was apparent among musicians and artists… This encouraged members of the public to take drugs as part of the social change and permissive society of the 60s. The authorities and the police were desperate to make examples out of celebrities to dissuade the public from drug use. The integrity of the police and their methods was a broad issue during this era, law enforcement’s crackdown on drugs was part of a societal debate about drug use and personal freedom. The arrests of prominent figures, like Harrison, highlighted how the conservative elements of society were trying to control drug possession. There was certainly a cultural clash of the era, where younger generations were pushing against traditional norms!

This moment remains a significant and notable episode in The Beatles stories, as well as reiterating conditions of the landscape of the 1960s and the influence of drug culture on the music sphere.

To me, I think Pilcher was just a corrupt crook who intentionally exploited famous celebrities for some kind of recognition and admiration from the press. I mean, how destitute do you have to be to come after George Harrison? What are your thoughts on this event? Why do you think Pilcher was so committed to what he was doing? Let me know in the comments!