Churchill's Great Grandson Pleads Guilty to Drug Racket Charges

[Perception Addict]

Churchill's Great Grandson Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges

Nicholas Jake Barton, the great-grandson of former British prime minister Winston Churchill, pleaded guilty Tuesday to knowingly taking part in a multimillion dollar ecstasy racket. The great-grandson of Winston Churchill will have no court victory over drugs charges.

Barton was arrested at his Sydney home in June last year during a series of raids in which police seized some 250,000 ecstasy tablets worth around 15 million Australian dollars (US$13 million; €8.9 million).

The 33-year-old Briton, who is the son of James Barton and Arabella Spencer Churchill, pleaded guilty before Sydney's Local Court to knowingly taking part in the supply of a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Barton, who bears a passing resemblance to his famous great-grandfather, was ordered to remain in custody until February 22 when he will be sentenced along with co-defendant Reese Gerard Woodgate, 42, who has also pleaded guilty.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapc...ref=newssearch