Phil Rudd, the 60-year-old drummer for rock ‘n’ roll band AC/DC, was arrested on the morning of November 6 during a police raid on his North Island home in New Zealand. The musician was charged with attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill, and possession of cannabis and methamphetamines.
The alleged hitman hired by Rudd said that the aging rock star wanted protection after disputes with “working girls” and their partners. In an exclusive interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, the hitman/bodyguard, said that Rudd was the “Hugh Hefner of Tauranga” because of the amount that he pays for escorts is “like someone’s yearly wage.”
AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd charged in murder plot http://t.co/WJpORLny74
— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) November 6, 2014
It has been reported that the bodyguard, whose name has been witheld, went on countless trips with Rudd including fishing and helicopter trips as well as driving around in Rudd’s expensive sports cars. Despite the arrest, the man claims that Rudd is “a good fella” with a “big heart”.
The alleged hitman discussed the dispute with escorts at length. “The girls that he gets, working girls and that, their partners get pissed off, he tells them ‘Nah I’m not paying you’ and then the partners come and say they want their money.”
According to documents, Rudd was accused of hiring the alleged hitman to kill two people between September 25 and September 26. He was also accused of attempting to kill a complainant on September 26.
AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd charged with attempt to procure murder: http://t.co/4Rrs0bqcfw h pic.twitter.com/8QrnGOAHd3
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) November 6, 2014
Rudd was released on bail until his upcoming trial on November 27.
While he remains part of AC/DC, the “Hugh Hefner of Tauranga” has been left out of press photos for the band’s upcoming album Rock or Bust. This absence leaves his future with the band uncertain.
Recently, Rudd released the solo album Head Job back in September. Although considering his hard-living playboy lifestyle, Hugh Hefner of Tauranga may have been a more appropriate album title. After all, it’s a nickname that’s sure to catch on.