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Police in New Zealand have charged the drummer of rock band AC/DC with trying to procure the services of a hit-man to kill two men.
Phil Rudd, a 60-year-old native of Australia, also faces charges of making death threats and possessing methamphetamine and cannabis. He entered no plea to the charges during a court appearance on Thursday after police arrested him at his home earlier in the day following a tip-off from a member of the public. Remanded on bail, Rudd has been ordered to return to court on November 27 and must reside at his home and avoid contacting the complainants in the meantime.
According to New Zealand’s Sunlive news website, Rudd is accused of “procuring murder” between September 25 and 26 this year, while the murder threat charge relates to an alleged incident on September 26. The drugs possession charges are said relate to his arrest on Thursday.
The judge in court ruled that details of the complaints, as well as the identity of the alleged victims and hit-men, not be made public.
Rudd was sacked from AC/DC in 1983 but rejoined the band 11 years later. He lives in Tauranga, New Zealand where he also owns a restaurant. He was convicted and fined for being in possession of cannabis in 2010.
AC/DC is due to release a new album, their first for five years, at the start of next month.