AC/DC's Rudd In Court For 'Drinking Alcohol'

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has pleaded not guilty to breaching rules of his home detention sentence by drinking alcohol.

A judge in New Zealand allowed the musician to remain at home on bail pending a November hearing on the possible breach.

If Rudd is found to be in breach of his conditions he could face further sanctions, including jail time.

However, drinking alcohol is likely to be considered a less severe offence.

Asked by reporters after the hearing if he was nervous about what lay ahead in the case, Rudd replied: "No, the only thing I'm nervous about is I don't, I don't actually don't know what's going on."

Asked how he would be spending time on bail, he responded by saying "Self-improvement," before his lawyer hustled him into a waiting car.

Rudd's erratic behaviour outside the courthouse has become a feature of his recent appearances.

At one hearing he clowned around by jumping on the back of a security guard; at another he raised his middle fingers to journalists.

He also tends not to wear dentures which can make his responses hard to understand.

Rudd was sentenced to eight months of home confinement on 9 July after pleading guilty to threatening to kill a former employee and possessing methamphetamine and marijuana.

Rudd acknowledged in a court summary of facts that he had offered cash, vehicles and a house to an associate after asking him to have the victim "taken out".

He also acknowledged that he had directly said to the victim he was going to kill him.

Police then arrested Rudd at his home on 18 July, accusing him of possessing and drinking alcohol. He was subsequently given a new bail condition: that he undergo drug and alcohol testing whenever police request it.

It is unclear whether he has any future with AC/DC.

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