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Singer slapped with R332k fine

BERLIN, Germany - British singer Pete Doherty is regularly at odds with officialdom through his scandalous - nay, disgusting - behaviour.

Now it seems the long arm of the law has caught up to him and the singer has a tough choice to make - spend time in jail or cough up a hefty fine.

Judges in a Berlin court have ordered the singer to spend 30 days in jail or pay 30 days' income for drunkenly damaging a parked car after a pub crawl through the city in 2009.

Doherty's monthly income is estimated at €30 000 (about R332 600) so he's considering paying it off in instalments. After all, there's your bar tab to think of as well.

PAY UP, OR GO TO CELL

"It will have to be weighed up," court spokesman Martin Steltner said.

Doherty has so for neither paid the fine or surrendered but Steltner said that if he sends the money the case will be closed.

The singer played a gig earlier in Berlin without attracting official attention since the grace period to pay the fine was still in effect. Now, though, he's received a letter from the court ordering him to report to jail to serve his time.

German authorities often allow hard-up defendants to pay fines by instalments if they demonstrate that they have no savings to draw on.

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