No Rock And Roll Fun

PRIEST MAN CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED RAPE: David Holland, the former Judas Priest drummer, has been found guilty of attempted rape and five charges of indecent assault. A majority verdict from the juty at Northampton Crown Court rejected Holland's plea of not guilty. Co-accused Spiros Laouitaris was acquitted on three charges of indecent assault against the same teenager, a special needs student who was 17 at the time of the assaults. Laouitaris was cleared of a fourth charge on the directions of the judge. Holland was remanded in custody awaiting sentencing.

Meanwhile, Judas Priest have been doing their best to distance themselves from the affair. Their management co-ordinator Jayne Andrews clearly had a statement ready typed up, probably even face down in the fax machine with the distribution list numbers keyed in, as within seconds of the verdict, the "this has nothing to do with us" disclaimer was whirring down the wires:

"We are as shocked and stunned as everyone else by this news. However, we would like to point out that Scott Travis is JUDAS PRIEST's drummer and has been since 1989.
We have not seen or heard from or had any contact with Dave Holland at all since we parted company with him over 15 years ago."

Got that? It's fifteen bloody years since Judas Priest had a convicted kiddie-fiddler on the drumstool, and nothing to do with them.