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AC/DC drummer's cannabis conviction

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Wed, 01 Dec 2010 1:52p.m.

Phil Rudd (Sunlive.co.nz)

Phil Rudd (Sunlive.co.nz)

AC/DC drummer and Tauranga resident Phil Rudd has been convicted of cannabis possession, at the Tauranga District Court.

Police executed a search warrant on Rudd’s motorboat in Tauranga on October 7th, where they found 27 grams of cannabis onboard.   

Rudd’s lawyer Craig Tuck asked for his client to be discharged without conviction because it would affect his international travels as a well-known musician. Tuck said Rudd earned $400 million from nine months of travelling last year alone.

“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 court Rudd regrets his actions and takes full responsibility for his mistake. He also said Rudd has donated millions of dollars to the Tauranga community.

Community magistrate Robyn Paterson declined the request, saying Rudd was blindly ignoring the law. Rudd has also been fined $250 and ordered to pay court fees.

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Comments

02 Dec 2010 09:03p.m.

NW wrote:

Yet another reason to resent and disrespect law enforcement officers and judges - why the hell don't you lot go after real criminals and work on some of the thousands of unsolved burglary cases instead of wasting my considerable tax "contribution" of 30k + per year on going after soft-target celebrities to make an example of them. If I ever get busted it will not be a case of blindly ignoring the law - I hold prohibiton and all those responsible for its continued implementation in utter contempt. Drug laws cause far more damage to society than many of the drugs themselves, and the state-sanctioned seizure of money (in this case begin fines and ordered to pay court costs) and property theft by police (in the case of people caught with a few plants) is nothing other than theft, plain and simple. The solution of course is to simply overgrow the system - eveyone who uses should grow their own weed, and if caught, be as unco-operative as possible. People who co-operate with police and the courts have a very good chance of receiving a more severe penalty than those who admit to nothing and draw the process out as long as possible. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" - stand tall! Kia Kaha! And don't smoke - vaporise or eat it - much healthier, although of course the government is using the political football of cannabis to show that it is "protecting The Public" from the evils of cannabis by making any method that reduces/eliminates the potential harm of cannabis a more serious criminal offence than actually just smoking it. Wake up cops and robbers (judges), get a smattering of morality and stop ruining innocent peoples' lives!

02 Dec 2010 12:53p.m.

Jackson, Hawera wrote:

it goes to show how cowardly the police force is. Me along with many others were smoking up in front of parliament with the pigs watching and we werent arrested (i was the guy blowing smoke into the camera), yet they find a man who had just over an ounce for himself and decide its a good idea to arrest him, WHAT A SUCCESS STORY! *sarcasm intended*

02 Dec 2010 07:35a.m.

John Davis wrote:

Oh no not cannabis Yawn.. It will take several more generations to die off before it gets legalized, this country has made great progress we aren't as backwards as we used to be.

01 Dec 2010 09:32p.m.

jason wrote:

Oh no not cannabis, that dangerous drug that has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose, in contrast to aspirin which over 1000 people fatally overdose on in the US each year, and then there is alcohol which kills about 1000 New Zealanders each year, but we have to get rid of cannabis its just so dangerous.

And by the way i have never smoked cannabis in my life.

01 Dec 2010 07:51p.m.

nigel wrote:

No one benefits from Judge Paterson’s decision, in fact each and every one of us suffers a as a result of it! AC DC makes great music and now their ability to do that will be compromised for ever. That is the reason celebrities should not be punished the same as the rest of us, for as we punish them we punish ourselves. Paris Hilton was recently denied entry to Japan, justice was done, the law was upheld, Paris was punished along with thousands of her fans in Japan. There is no debate, we all agree that murder is the most heinous of crimes, so no matter what loss to society no leniency there. However debate rages around victim-less crimes, what is a crime today may not be tomorrow. It is unlikely that Judge Patterson or the Policeman that arrested Paris Hilton will ever contribute anything much, when compared to our celebrity, our artists and our great achievers. They will however, due to their lack of insight and intelligence and even their jealousy, hurt us all.

01 Dec 2010 06:55p.m.

John, Lower Hutt wrote:

You're dreaming Steve. Neither major party (National or Labour) will legalise cannabis.

And yeah, you're right, it's 2010 - a time when any form of passive smoking is almost illegal, there is immense pressure to reduce blood/alcohol levels and speed limits, not to mention health and safety legislation which has gone beserk.


01 Dec 2010 03:23p.m.

Sativa Steve wrote:

Obviously the pigs (people in govt service) had a quiet week and needed a big name conviction to justify more funding and budgets in the oh so successful war on drugs. The guy is hardly a menace to society. This conviction would have cost the taxpayer close to $15,000 all up, maybe more. Legalise the weed, tax it and regulate it, it's 2010 for goodness sake. C'mon TV3, how about some serious and informed debate on this issue for once. Lets get the legalisation debate going.