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THE STONES VS. THE LAW: CHAOS AND COMEBACK The Redlands bust fallout was pure drama. Mick and Fraser hit Brixton, Keith spent a night at Wormwood Scrubs, and the media went wild. Fans rallied hard, seeing the sentences as total overkill. The government tried to humiliate them, but the Stones bounced back. Bail was set at £7,000, charges against Keith dropped, Mick got a conditional discharge, and Robert Fraser stayed put. To thank fans, they dropped We Love You—a cheeky “cheers” to the public.
It was probably the most famous bust in rock history. On February 12, 1967, at 7:55 p.m., Sussex police, led by Chief Inspector Dineley, knocked on the door of Redlands, Keith’s country home, disrupting a small party he was hosting, and produced a search warrant, alleging that drugs were being used on the property. When the police searched the home for drugs, they found a naked woman (Marianne Faithfull, who was also only wrapped in a fur rug, fresh from taking a shower), one ‘Mr. X’, four pep pills, and a green velvet jacket that Mick claimed was his, but was actually Marianne’s and heroin pills that Robert Fraser was in possession of. (Ref. redlands bust)
The Redlands Trial: The Stones Face Justice
At Chichester Magistrates Court on May 10, 1967, bail of £100 was granted to Mick, Keith, and Fraser. ‘Mr. X.’, meanwhile, had left the country. Ironically, Brian was arrested at his home on the day of the hearing for possessing cocaine, methamphetamine, and cannabis. The West Sussex Quarter Sessions, presided over by Judge Leslie Block, held the trial of Mick, Keith, and Fraser from June 27 to June 29. Prior to being sentenced, Mick Jagger was forced to spend the night in Lewes Prison during his trial.
The jury deliberated for a little more than five minutes after hearing Keith’s case. Keith and Mick were sentenced by Judge Block, who thought they were “scum and filth”. Mick was found guilty of illegally possessing pep pills, given a £100 fine, and given a three-month jail term. Keith was found responsible for letting people smoke hashish inside his house, given a £500 fine, and given a one-year prison term. After being found guilty of heroin possession, Robert Fraser was given a £200 fine and a six-month prison term. (Ref. redlands bust)
Public Outcry and Media Frenzy Over Stones Sentences
While Fraser and Mick went to Brixton Jail, Keith was assigned to Wormwood Scrubs for the evening. The Who released two Stones songs the following day, June 30 (The Last Time and Under My Thumb) in an effort to maintain their reputation in the media, and there were demonstrations outside the courthouse. The following day, on June 30, there was a significant public outcry. The public genuinely rallied behind the Rolling Stones, with everyone agreeing that the government intended to humiliate the Stones by handing down such severe sentences on tenuous charges.
In testimony, a doctor claimed to have given Mick a prescription for the drugs, which Mick had legally purchased in Italy. Another detail that Keith revealed during the trial was that the Stones believed The News of the World had set them up in retaliation for Mick’s threat to sue the publication for libel following their article that claimed he used drugs. The mysterious ‘Mr. X’, who apparently received a tip from the paper, reportedly called the police after learning that drugs were being consumed at Keith’s party.
Bail, Appeals, and the Stones’ We Love You Response
A £7,000 bail was set at the High Court for Keith and Mick’s release. The charges against Keith were dropped a month later, on July 31, 1967, by Lord Parker, the Lord Chief Justice of the London Appeal Court, who also granted Mick a conditional discharge. There was only one prisoner, Robert Fraser. As a way of saying “thank you” to the public for their support, the Stones released We Love You on August 18.
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