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Former Judas Priest drummer convicted of attempted rape of teen
Friday, January 23, 2004
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(01-23) 07:49 PST 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 boy, who has learning difficulties, at the drummer's rural English home in 2002.
A jury at Northampton Crown Court found Holland guilty of one charge of attempted rape and five counts of indecent assault. Spiros Laouitaris, 22, who also had been accused in the case, was cleared of four counts of indecent assault.
Holland, 55, wept 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.
Holland joined the hard-rocking British band in 1979 and stayed for a decade, when the band 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.
Former Judas Priest drummer convicted of attempted rape of teen
Friday, January 23, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(01-23) 07:49 PST 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 boy, who has learning difficulties, at the drummer's rural English home in 2002.
A jury at Northampton Crown Court found Holland guilty of one charge of attempted rape and five counts of indecent assault. Spiros Laouitaris, 22, who also had been accused in the case, was cleared of four counts of indecent assault.
Holland, 55, wept 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.
Holland joined the hard-rocking British band in 1979 and stayed for a decade, when the band 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.
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