LONDON (AP) - The former drummer for heavy metal band Judas Priest was convicted Friday of attempting to rape a teenager whom he was giving drum lessons.David Holland had denied assaulting the 17-year-old, who has learning difficulties, at the drummer's rural English home in 2002. The youth cannot be named for legal reasons.
A jury at Northampton Crown Court found Holland guilty of one charge of attempted rape and five counts of indecent assault. A co-accused, 22-year-old Spiros Laouitaris, was cleared of four counts of indecent assault.
Holland, 55, wept in the dock as the verdicts were read out.
Judge Charles Wide asked for a pre-sentence report on the risk the former rocker posed to adolescent boys.
Prosecutors said the teenager, who had sometimes stayed overnight at Holland's house while taking lessons, wrote a letter to his parents in December 2002 describing the abuse.
``It revealed that things were happening at his drum teacher's house that shouldn't have been happening,'' said prosecution lawyer Maria Savvides.
Holland joined the hard-rocking British band in 1979 and stayed for a decade, through its most successful period. Judas Priest churned out a string of heavy-metal classics, including ``You've Got Another Thing Coming,'' ``Living After Midnight'' and ``Hell Bent for Leather.''
Holland left the group in 1989. Leather-clad singer Rob Halford departed for a solo career in 1993 but announced last July that he was returning for a world tour and a new album.
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When the chime ends, pickup your gun. Try and shoot me Coronel... Just try...
posted January 23, 2004 14:59
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