Former Tory justice minister Crispin Blunt, who admitted drugs charges, used chemsex parties to inform government drug policies, a court has been told.
Blunt, MP for Reigate in Surrey between 1997 and 2024, admitted four counts of possession of drugs, including crystal meth, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
He was fined £1200 with a £480 victim surcharge and £200 costs.
Blunt, who was justice minister in the Cameron administration between 2010 and 2012, gave a 30-minute speech, during which he told the court that he should never have faced criminal charges.
He said he had considered taking the case to a jury trial, to argue that he should be acquitted on the grounds that the drug possession charge should not exist.
His home in Horley, Surrey, was raided by police in October 2023 in relation to separate allegations of rape, which were later dropped.
Latest Politics: Streeting warns NHS trust could be broken
Blunt told the court on Wednesday that drug possession charges against first-time offenders typically end with a warning out of court, and hinted at the notion that her political views on drug reform, trans rights and support for Palestinians may be behind the case brought against her.
He also suggested that former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was “involved in war crimes” over his support for Israel after the 7 October atrocities.
Prosecutor Zarah Dickinson told the court: “This was the first time he had come out as a gay man, and during his ministerial role he had seen first-hand the damage caused by the government’s drug policy.”
He added, “He began to take a professional interest in a policy that caused lasting harm to society.
“Then he started getting involved in the chemsex scene.
“Their knowledge of direct use of drugs was used to inform how policies could be implemented.”
Read more from Sky News:
FA hits back at Reform’s ‘stupid nonsense’ complaint
Arrests after ambulance fire
According to Ms Dickinson, Blunt was “polite” and “calm” when his home was raided – and he told officers about the drugs.
During his interview, Blunt described how he would host chemsex parties and how GBL use would be limited to once per hour.
Dickinson said between £200 and £250 worth of crystal meth was found on Blunt’s bed, as well as about £200 of GBL in a syringe in a laptop bag.
Cannabis worth less than £10 was also found, as well as powder residue on the scales.
Ms Dickinson said the investigation began following “alleged offenses which took place during a chemsex party at Mr Blunt’s home address in September 2023”.
The 65-year-old man was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on four counts of possession of drugs – one of class A and three of class B.
The drugs he admitted to using were cannabis, methamphetamine and methylamphetamine as well as the sedative GBL – the last of which is currently known as crystal meth.
Blunt told Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram on Wednesday that he believed politicians had failed to properly consider drug policy reform.
He said, “They have settled with moral simplicity on this simple position that drugs are bad, that they have been banned, without regard to the dire consequences.” “It keeps politicians on a moral high ground.”
Following the raid on his home in 2023, Blunt announced that he would not stand in the 2024 general election.
