Tolkien relative 'sold drugs'

The great-grandson of Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien used inheritance he received from the Lord of the Rings films to bankroll a Dudley shop he allegedly dealt cannabis from, a court heard.

Piers Crombleholme said he had ploughed £50,000 from the Tolkien Trust into his Hall Street business. But the 27-year-old denied he had ever sold drugs from the shop on the first day of his trial yesterday.

Police found 39 cannabis plants and cannabis stuffed in jars and tins when they raided Chalkline, a knife and gun retailer, in March.

The jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court was shown two sets of electric scales, smoking paraphenalia and one of nine jars full of cannabis at the shop, which were also recovered in the raid. The court heard transcripts of the interview Crombleholme gave to police following his arrest.

He admitted growing and cultivating cannabis for up to two years but denied selling it in the shop.

He maintained his business interests were legal and said he was "not smug enough" to get away with selling it in the shop.

The court heard Crombleholme had financed the business through loans from his family and from the inheritance he received from the Tolkien trust.

He said: "I have spent about £50,000 of my own money on the shop.

"It was from my inheritance from the Tolkien Trust, which I get one per cent of the gross from.

"I have received about £100,000 so far because of the success of the three films."

Crombleholme was cross examined over some of the entries in the sales ledger, which included sales of legal herbal stimulants to mimic the effects of amphetamines.

The defendant admitted cannabis was found at the living quarters but when asked if he allowed cannabis to be sold in the shop he replied "absolutely not."

He has been asked to bring in some sales invoices and examples of the legal herbal stimulant sold in the shop, including an alternative to tobacco called super skunk. Crombleholme, of Hall Street, denies a charge of possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

The trial continues.

By Jon Wood