AC/DC’s former drummer Phil Rudd has changed his plea to guilty on a charge of a threat to kill, at a court in Tauranga, New Zealand.

The court heard Phil Rudd had asked for a former employee to be “taken out” because he was angry his solo album had not performed well.

Phil Rudd, who had denied the charges, also pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and methamphetamine.

One second charge of a threat to kill has been dropped for lack of evidence.

Australian-born Phil Rudd was arrested at his home in the coastal town in November 2014 and has since been out on bail.

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The court summary heard on April 21 that he had fired a number of employees in August after his solo album, Head Job, flopped in the charts.

A month later, the court heard, Phil Rudd called an associate saying he wanted one of the people he had fired “taken out”.

He later offered the associate NZ$200,000 ($153,000) as well as “a motorbike, one of his cars or a house”, which the person assumed was payment “for carrying out his earlier request”.

Phil Rudd is then alleged to have called the victim threatening to “come over and kill you”.

“As a result of threats made by the defendant, the victim was genuinely very fearful for his safety,” the court summary read.

Phil Rudd’s lawyer, Craig Tuck, told reporters outside the court that the charge “essentially revolved around an angry phone call – that was it”.

The 60-year-old faces up to seven years in jail for the threat charge. Possession of cannabis carries a sentence of three months and methamphetamine possession six months.

Phil Rudd has been released on bail until another hearing in June.

According to New Zealand prosecutors, the charges faced by former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd relate to an alleged threat to kill a man and his daughter.

The details of the allegations have been made public for the first time, a day after Phil Rudd breached his bail by having contact with a witness.

Phil Rudd, 60, has denied threatening to kill and drug possession.

He was originally also charged with attempting to procure murder, but this was later dropped for lack of evidence.

New Zealand prosecutors on December 5 released details of their allegations against him, stating that on the morning of September 26, Phil Rudd had made two phone calls.

The first was to a business associate where he allegedly “spoke about what he wanted done to” the unnamed man, who had been working for him for three years.

The second phone call was to the man himself, in which Phil Rudd allegedly “threatened to kill him and his daughter”.

On November 6, police searched Phil Rudd’s home in Tauranga and found 130g (4.6 ounces) of marijuana and 0.7g of methamphetamine.

Phil Rudd acknowledged possessing the marijuana, prosecutors allege, but denied both threatening to kill the contractor and making the phone calls.

He could be jailed up to seven years if found guilty of threatening to kill. Possession of cannabis carries a sentence of three months and methamphetamine possession six months.

On December 4, Phil Rudd was recalled to Tauranga District Court after he was found to have breached his bail conditions by coming into contact with a prosecution witness. The encounter ended in scuffles.

Phil Rudd’s lawyer said he had run into the witness at a coffee shop in a shopping centre by chance.

The drummer was re-released on bail but the conditions were tightened to specifically include a ban on taking illegal drugs.

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has briefly appeared in court in New Zealand on charges of threatening to kill and possession of drugs.

The judge at the court in the North Island city of Tauranga briefly issued an arrest warrant for Phil Rudd, 60, after he failed to appear on time.

The warrant was withdrawn when Phil rudd appeared minutes later.

Australian Phil Rudd entered no plea and was remanded on bail until December 2.

A charge of attempting to arrange a murder was dropped earlier this month.

Phil Rudd had been due to appear in court at 09:00 local time.

When he failed to appear, Judge Timothy Brewer issued a warrant for his arrest, saying it would be enacted in half an hour if Phil Rudd did not show.

Phil Rudd was in court when the hearing resumed about 15 minutes later.

Justice Brewer then sent the case back to the district court as police had dropped the charge of attempting to procure murder.

In court, Phil Rudd put on a show for the gallery, winking at the media and tapping a rhythm on the dock.

As he left, he jumped on his security guard’s back and was carried to his sports car.

Phil Rudd’s lawyer, Paul Mabey, has said his client will deny the threatening to kill charge and described the drugs charges as “minor”.

He said the case had attracted sensational worldwide publicity and Phil Rudd had suffered “incalculable damage”.

Phil Rudd, who has lived in New Zealand for more than two decades, was kicked out of AC/DC in 1983 but rejoined in 1994.

AC/DC is one of the biggest-selling bands in history.

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AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has had a charge of attempting to arrange a murder dropped in New Zealand.

The U-turn by authorities, announced less than 24 hours after Phil Rudd appeared in court, was because of a lack of evidence, his lawyer Paul Mabey said.

He will still face charges of drugs possession and making threats to kill.

AC/DC had earlier issued a statement saying its planned tour would not be affected by news of the charges.

The band is one of the highest grossing music acts of all time.

Phil Rudd was kicked out of AC/DC in 1983 and rejoined in 1994

On November 6, Phil Rudd appeared in court after a police raid on his waterfront house in Tauranga, on New Zealand’s North Island.

However, on November 7, prosecuting lawyer Greg Hollister-Jones said his office had reviewed the case and found there was “insufficient evidence to proceed with the charge of attempting to procure murder”.

Phil Rudd’s lawyer, Paul Mabey, said the “charge alleging an attempt to procure murder should never have been laid”.

He added that Phil Rudd had suffered “incalculable” damage from the publicity surrounding the allegation and its sensational reporting, and would consider “any possible remedies he may have”.

He described the drug charges as “minor” offences and said the musician would defend the charge of making threats to kill, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail.

Phil Rudd, 60, is next due in court on November 27. AC/DC is launching its new album on December 2.

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