AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd Convicted of Cannabis Possession.

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was convicted of cannabis possession in a Tauranga court this morning. It is the first time Rudd has been convicted of a drug offence.

Police discovered the drugs when they executed a search warrant on Rudd's launch at the Tauranga Bridge Marina on October 7. Inside they found 25 grams of cannabis and a further two grams of cannabis at another location on the boat.

Rudd's lawyer, Craig Tuck, asked community magistrate Robyn Paterson to discharge him without conviction because the "low level" offence could hinder his chances of travelling internationally.

Tuck told Tauranga District Court that Rudd spent nine months travelling the globe with AC/DC in 2009, earning $400 million from concerts.

"Over the last nine months, at least 20 countries have been entered," Tuck said.

"He travels extensively around the globe, across the planet, and on the basis of such criminality, which is low level offending, he is being targeted."

Tuck told the magistrate that Rudd was remorseful and has taken full responsibility for his actions.

He says Rudd has contributed millions of dollars to the local community since moving to Tauranga.

As Rudd left the court he told SunLive, "I'm not a bad person".

Police opposed Tuck's request to have his client discharged without conviction.

They say that if Rudd wanted to enter a country like the United States, he would still have to declare that he has been arrested on drugs charges and appeared in court.

Community magistrate Robyn Paterson refused the request for him to be discharged without conviction saying Rudd was playing "Russian roulette" by being in possession of cannabis.

She says given his age, responsibilities and the fact that he earns multi-millions travelling the world, he should have known how serious a drug conviction could be.

"It was not just an accident. You were blindly ignoring the law. You have been playing Russian roulette."

Rudd was convicted and given a fine of $250 and ordered to pay court fees.

Rudd was a member of AC/DC from 1975 until 1983, and again from 1994 to present.

After the 1977 departure of bass guitarist Mark Evans, he became the only Australian-born member of the band.

During his hiatus from the band, Rudd lived in Tauranga, where he bought a helicopter company.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/4410584/AC-DC-drummer-nabbed-for-drugs

 

how ridiculous! over barely an ounce of pot. don't the police have anything better to do? now would be an excellent time for authorities around the world to do away with such archaic laws and begin to focus their attention on real,serious matters. after all, as the saying goes, the more laws the more criminals. diggy.

 

eh....it sucks that this has to happen to him.
As far as Rudd and his lawyers asking to get the charges dropped so that he could travel, im kind of glad that they didnt do that....if they did, how messed up would that be? Just because he is a celebrity he gets his shit dropped while the rest of us would most def. be punished..

On a larger level the whole incident is BULLSHIT because cannabis should be decriminalized!

 

the guy earns $400mill and he has an Oz of pot.. Oh how dangerous too..

 

On one hand I like when celebrities aren't held above the law, on the other hand I have seeing anyone convicted of marijuana possession, so I'm conflicted

 

35 years of art and rock.
He is arrested for cannabis, What?

The community is SHOCKED! Gasp!, a Rockstar doing drugs??
CALL THE MARINES!!
CALL THE NAVY!! DRUUUGGSSSSS!!!!!!!

 

:2thumbsup:..

 

Wow, they arrested a famous musician OTHER than Willie Nelson?? Congrat-u-frickin-lations. That's crazy that they're bringing how many countries he's entered into his offense in New Zealand. That's pretty messed up. I say stick with the New Zealand offense, they can't possibly have proof that he's taken the substances anywhere else with him, unless he has convictions elsewhere. Bad business, hate seeing it happen to people.

 

^Are they taking that into account? I thought Rudd's defense was trying to get the NZ judge to drop the charges BECAUSE rudd travels a lot..

 

its never enough money to satisfy greedy politicians and law enforcement...

 

I like how the judge compared it to 'russian roulette'

 

I'm not conflicted about this in anyway...

If you choose to travel across international boundries, and you get busted carrying something illegal (regardless of whether it SHOULD be or not), then you deserve to get busted.

The fact that he makes all sorts of money, and so on, it totally irrelevant...

If you or I did it and got busted for it, we would be charged and convicted of a lot worse then just possession of pot.

As for his defense of, he has went in and out of many countries with no problems...

Does this mean if some countries allow a person to kill or rape, then we should all?

Laws either apply to everyone equally, or they are wrong, period.

Regardless of whether the laws are wrong or not, if you choose to break them, you choose the consequences... To get caught and whine about it afterwards is childish.