Australian-born AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd pleaded guilty in a New Zealand court on Tuesday to a charge of threatening to kill a former employee. He also pleaded guilty for possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. Rudd faces up to seven years in prison on the death threat charge, although his lawyer Craig Tuck stated that the prosecution case comes down to an angry phone call, and is seeking a solution that would involve no legal consequences for Rudd. Rudd conceded in a court summary of facts that he had offered up large amounts of cash, vehicles and a house to an associate after putting in a request to have the victim “taken out” and that he had also directly said to the victim he was going to kill him. The 60-year-old drummer was freed on bail pending a June sentencing hearing. By agreeing to plead guilty, Rudd avoided the need for a trial which was scheduled to begin Tuesday. Prosecutors agreed to drop a second charge of threatening to kill. Earlier, citing a lack of solid proof, the murder-for-hire charge was dropped.
