George & Pattie Harrison Fined for Drugs Possession – 31 March 1969

March 31, 2026

George Harrison and Pattie Harrison outside Esher and Walton Magistrates Court, 31 March 1969

George & Pattie Harrison Fined for Drugs Possession – 31 March 1969

Monday 31 March 1969 | George Harrison

On 31 March 1969, George Harrison and his wife Pattie Harrison appeared at Esher and Walton Magistrates’ Court following a police raid on their Esher home. The couple pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis — widely believed to have been planted during the raid — and were each fined £250 plus 10 guineas in court costs, and placed on one-year probation.

Court Appearance

George wore a navy blue suit; Pattie opted for a crimson velvet jacket. The couple presented a composed front outside the court despite significant media attention. The cannabis found in the Harrisons’ home was widely believed to have been planted by police officers — a common controversy surrounding celebrity drug raids in the 1960s.

Context

The raid and subsequent court case came during an extraordinarily turbulent period for The Beatles. John Lennon and Yoko Ono had been arrested on drugs charges the previous year, and Paul McCartney had publicly admitted to taking LSD. The Harrisons’ case added to the sense that the group was under sustained pressure from law enforcement.