AC/DC drummer charged with murder plot in New Zealand
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WELLINGTON (AFP) - The drummer with legendary rock band AC/DC, Phil Rudd, was accused Thursday of trying to hire a hitman to kill two men after police raided his luxury New Zealand home.
Police swooped on the veteran rocker's waterfront house at Tauranga in the North Island in the early hours and charged him with "attempting to procure murder" and threatening to kill.
They also charged the 60-year-old with possessing methamphetamine and cannabis after allegedly finding the drugs in his property, Tauranga District Court was told.
Court officials confirmed Rudd, a long-time member of one of the world's highest grossing bands, was granted bail and ordered to reappear on November 27.
He looked tired and tousled as he appeared in court shoeless and wearing a baggy grey jumper, with his lawyer unsuccessfully arguing that media should not be allowed to take images of him because they just wanted to capture his client "at his worst".
He was not required to enter a plea during his brief appearance but court documents reveal he is accused of trying to organise a hitman to kill two men in late September, although judge Louis Bidois suppressed the identities of those involved.
Rudd, who has played on hits including "Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap" and "Highway to Hell", refused to comment after leaving court and was driven away in a silver Mercedes Benz.
Under New Zealand law, attempting "to procure any person to murder any other person" is punishable by up to 10 years in jail, while threatening to kill can attract a seven-year sentence.
