AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has filed an appeal following his July 9 sentencing to 8 months of home detention by a New Zealand court after admitting threatening to kill and drugs charges stemming from a series of incidents in 2014.
In April, the drummer entered a guilty plea to one count of threatening to kill, possession of methamphetamine and possession of cannabis.
Last week, the Judge banned Rudd from taking any drugs not prescribed to him and he will be monitored 24 hours a day during his home detention, which he’ll serve at his waterfront Tauranga mansion.
Now, the New Zealand Herald reports Rudd's lawyer has lodged an appeal to the July 9 sentencing.
A series of significant new insights around the case emerged from the sentencing hearing, including:
• Rudd has been meeting one-on-one with a specialist psychiatrist but authorities have remained concerned about his behaviour. It emerged ESR results showed Rudd had tested positive for cannabis in a test in December.
• The rocker put the threats he made to his former employee down to "methamphetamine-induced psychosis".
• Rudd has reconciled with his would-be victim and agreed to pay him a substantial sum of money in reparation - the Herald can not reveal the amount for legal reasons. Mr Tuck told the court a process that had "started badly" had "ended beautifully".
• Rudd's lawyer claimed that a conviction would result in losses in the tens of millions of dollars that would have came from being able to tour with AC/DC. The Crown cast doubt on this assertion, pointing out there was no direct evidence that Rudd was still a member of the band.
• Rudd's defence claimed while there was "uncertainty" about his place in AC/DC, it was "certainly not a closed door". The Crown however argued Rudd was not a member of AC/DC even before the time he was arrested in November.
• Rudd was concerned about people - half of many he claimed he didn't know - that were hanging around in his house, some of whom he described as "fleas". Their presence had led to phone the police on two occasions.
• Mr Tuck said Rudd had described the issues that stemmed from his drug use had resulted in "perfect storm" that "impacted heavily on those around me".
• Rudd's son, Steven Rudd, who was also in court, described his father as having "a heart of gold" and it was "just when the drugs take over" that trouble began.
• An affidavit from Australian music industry heavyweight Michael Murchison, whose music touring credits include The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Madonna and The Sex Pistols, described how Rudd's behaviour had been "heart-wrenching" to see. "Phil needs help and many tears were shed by those close to him."
After Rudd recorded “Rock Or Bust” with AC/DC in Vancouver last year, the band hired former member Chris Slade to handle drum duties in his place for the group’s world tour, which launched on April 10 at Coachella.
Rudd was a member of AC/DC from 1975–83 and again from 1994–onward; while he isn’t touring with the group at the moment, his official status with the band remains unknown.
See also:
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