Former school headmaster faces five drug charges

Damien Michael Charnock has been offered bail of $10,000.
Damien Michael Charnock has been offered bail of $10,000.

The former headmaster of Dulwich College Shanghai was taken to court yesterday to face five drug-related charges, including consumption of methamphetamine, or "Ice".

Briton Damien Michael Charnock, 60, allegedly committed the offences on March 5.

Besides Ice, Charnock is also accused of consuming MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy.

He allegedly had in his possession 11 packets of a crystalline substance, later found to have contained 3.11g of methamphetamine, in a unit at the Goodwood Grand condominium in Balmoral Road.

Charnock is also said to have drug paraphernalia as well as seven tablets and a fragment containing MDMA in the apartment.

In a 2015 interview with lifestyle portal Timeout Shanghai, he said that he was raised in Malaysia where his parents had lived for "many, many years".

Charnock also said that he was the headmaster of the Wilson's School in Britain for 15 years before he started working at Dulwich College Shanghai in 2014.

  • 11

    Number of packets of a crystalline substance allegedly in Charnock's possession. It was later found to have contained 3.11g of methamphetamine.

According to China-based news website Global Times, Dulwich College was founded in 1619 and is one of the oldest independent schools in England.

It now has campuses in countries such as China, South Korea and Singapore.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Dulwich College Singapore said that Charnock has never worked at its school at any time.

It was not stated in court documents what he was doing in Singapore.

Charnock is represented by lawyer Gloria James-Civetta, and was offered bail of $10,000 yesterday. His case has been adjourned till Aug 20.

For each count of drug consumption, offenders can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $20,000.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 24, 2019, with the headline Former school headmaster faces five drug charges. Subscribe