Phil Rudd had a rude message for waiting media as he left Tauranga District Court yesterday. Photo / John Borren
Phil Rudd had a rude message for waiting media as he left Tauranga District Court yesterday. Photo / John Borren
AC/DC rocker Phil Rudd has been allowed to return to his Bureta home after being arrested during the weekend and charged with breaching his home detention conditions.
Rudd, 61, who briefly appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday, faced a charge of breaching his detention conditions relating to the alleged possession or consumption of alcohol.
Rudd stood motionless in the dock at court when Judge Louis Bidois remanded him without plea until August 3, when he is expected to re-appear at court.
Wearing a white polo shirt, Rudd was mostly expressionless while his matter was being dealt with until the moment Judge Bidois granted a media application to take his photograph and film.
Rudd standing in the dock put his hand up to try to cover his face.
Judge Bidois told Rudd: "Don't do that. It makes you look foolish, and just gets you on TV for nothing."
Lawyer Anna Pollett, representing the Department of Community Probation, successfully sought one bail condition which meant Rudd must now submit to alcohol and drug testing when required to do so by police.
The rest of his home detention conditions, including no possession or consumption of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs, also continues. Rudd's lawyer Craig Tuck did not opposed the bail condition.
Rudd, who was arrested on Saturday after the alleged breach, received a warning from Judge Bidois when he was released on bail yesterday.
"The only warning I can give you, obviously, is if there is another alleged breach, the department's position may well be different and they may well seek to cancel the sentence of home detention," he said.
Rudd had been in custody since his arrest on Saturday night.
Phil Rudd briefly appeared in Tauranga District Court yesterday following his arrest on Saturday night at his Bureta home, after he allegedly consumed alcohol.
His arrest comes just nine days after he was convicted and sentenced to eight months' home detention on charges of threatening to kill another man, possession of cannabis and methamphetamine found at his home during a police raid last year.
Mr Tuck has confirmed he has filed an appeal against Rudd's conviction and sentence.
At the July 9 sentencing hearing, Judge Thomas Ingram told Rudd that home detention was the sole alternative to sending him to prison.
Rudd left the courthouse and refused to comment to waiting media and raised the middle finger.
After hugging and kissing a middle-aged well-wisher he hopped into a waiting sports car and drove off.
Police have refused to elaborate on the circumstances of the alleged breach, because it is now a Department of Corrections prosecution matter.
Outside court Mr Tuck declined to comment on the details of the alleged breach.
Mr Tuck told the Bay of Plenty Times he did not believe Rudd's latest arrest would jeopardise his chances of mounting a successful appeal against his conviction.
