Paul Di’Anno, one time singer for Iron Maiden (before they went on to look for their singers in flight schools), is going to jail.
No, he hasn’t been playing Monopoly and landed up there (btw, isn’t Monopoly the worst board game ever? It never fucking ends…) he was playing a bit more adult games.
It seems that he’s been cheating on the British taxpayers, claiming to have suffered from sciatica — some disease I probably misspelled which is essentially nerve damage to the back, which rendered him unable to play live shows, but able to collect over $67.500 in benefits. And of course, he was playing live shows all the time. Worst criminal ever.
Anyway, he pleaded guilty, and you can read more legal talk after you make the jump. Just a quick hint, this is not the first time he’s been in legal troubles — he’s been deported from the United States and hasn’t been there for almost 20 years, because he did jail time in early 90s, “for guns and drugs.”
‘The Soundhouse Tapes’ creator sat in front of a judge yesterday (Feb. 11) and admitted to eight counts of benefit fraud as well as claiming more than $67,500 in benefits. Honorary Recorder Judge Andrew Barnett, the judge presiding over Di’Anno’s case, informed the rocker he would definitely be seeing a jail cell soon. “You have got the sense and courage to plead guilty to these matters, but you have to understand that they are very serious,” Barnett said. “Although all sentence options will be open, you should prepare yourself for a prison sentence – and an immediate one at that.”
Di’Anno will be sentenced on March 11.
