[Katya]

"A DRUG dealer killed a man with a 12-inch sword after a gang of armed robbers slipped into his flat, a court was told."

Okay...this is the distinction...I'm assuming the DRUG dealer had a previous conviction...British law would make a distinction in the rights between someone with a criminal record and the average citizen. Unlike in America, past crimes can be brought into court cases, and weigh on sentencing, prosecution etc.

[Travis McGee]

Maybe. I think the British libel laws mean that the papers don't always have to put in "alleged" all the time. They can operate on mere hear-say. Nowhere does it say he was ever convicted for drug dealing, or that the police found any drugs. Besides, marijuana is "next to legal" in the UK. Decriminalized or whatever.