As first reported by The Gauntlet and The Daily Mail of London former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di'Anno has plead guilty to eight counts of fraud. Di'Anno claimed he had suffered nerve damage to his back and was unable to work even though he has continued to perform and tour. He has been charged with claiming 45,000 GBP or over $72000.00 USD in benefits he didn't deserve. Someone sent an anonymous tip to the Department of Work and Pensions via video footage of Paul on stage. Charges were promptly filed.
At a hearing the judge presiding on the case Honorary Recorder Justice Andrew Barnett told Di'Anno to prepare for jail time:
“You have got the sense and courage to plead guilty to these matters, but you have to understand that they are very serious. 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, 2011. He had been plagued with legal troubles over the years and just recently toured the US for the first time in ages. He had been performing a set of Iron Maiden classics from the albums he helped create, Iron Maiden and Killers. If you missed that run it might very well be a long wait until we see him on these shores again.
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