AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has entered a not-guilty plea to charges of threatening to kill and possession of drugs and will likely face a judge-alone trial in 2015.
According to The New Zealand Herald, the 60-year-old drummer was excused from appearing at court on Tuesday and his lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. According to Judge Tom Ingram, the case will likely go to a judge-alone trial later in 2015.
The judge also ordered for the suppression of the details of the “threatening to kill” charges and those of three other witnesses on the grounds of hardship and for a fourth person for fair trial reasons.
According to stuff.co.nz, the judge also said that due to the high national and internationally public interest in the case, the crown should instead release details of the charges against Rudd and a summary of facts. Crown prosecutor Greg Hollister-Jones said that would likely take about a week.
Rudd was arrested earlier this month over charges of attempting to procure the murder of two people, as well as charges of threatening to kill someone and the possession of methamphetamine and cannabis. Just a day after his arrest, the murder plot charges were dropped because of insufficient evidence.
Rudd also made headlines just last week thanks to his somewhat erratic behaviour in and out of court when he failed to show up on time, clowned around with reporters and even jumped on the back of his security guard who carried him to his car.
Rudd was remanded today on the same conditions of his bail. His current involvement with AC/DC, who dropped their new album Rock Or Bust just last week, still remains in question.
