June 30, 2000 13:57

MARION SINGER ON DRUGS RAP

[b]Jaime Harding[/b] is put on probation for six months...

Former Marion frontman JAIME HARDING has been put on probation for six months after pleading guilty to theft charges and possession of heroin.

The singer-songwriter posted an interview to Marion fan website Chance http://home.clara.net/the.program/index.html in January, saying he was continuing to write under the band's name, and planned to tour in the middle of the year.

But according to reports in local newspaper, the Macclesfield Express, a Jamie Brian Harding, 25, and co-accused Dawn Brocklehurst, 24, also of Macclesfield, stole garden ornaments on or around April 22 and sold them to an antiques dealer for #35. The owner of the property spotted them in the shop and Harding was arrested.

According to the report, court prosecutor Jennifer Leeming said: "He explained to the police that he had a heroin addiction and said that that was why he committed these offences, because he needed the money to purchase drugs." He was seen by officers trying to hide a syringe under the seat of the car he was in when police approached him.

His solicitor, Ruth Oakes, said: "This is a particularly sad case because they were both young people who were successful before their involvement in drug culture. Both started using heroin some time ago and they have struggled to keep down employment. Everything has gone wrong for them. Mr Harding can't believe he's sunk that low."

Both were put on probation for six months.