Former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno jailed for Benefit Fraud

Motley Crue

According to the Daily Mail, Paul Di'Anno (real name: Paul Andrews) was jailed today after he falsely collected U.K. government benefits by claiming he suffered nerve damage to his back that prevented him from working.

Di'Anno, 52, was sentenced to nine months for swindling £45,000 (approximately $72,000) in benefits. He was told he would serve at least four and a half months of the sentence behind bars before being released on conditional bail.

Jane Miller QC, sentencing at Salisbury Crown Court today (Friday, March 11), said Di'Anno's public image had nothing to do with the case and he would be treated like anybody else. She said, "Your public persona is not relevant. Your greed has cost this country a lot of money. The claims were for a long time and for a large cost. It must be a custodial sentence.

"In 2002 you started claiming benefits when it was quite clear you were already working.

"It took many years to track you down, in 2007 you performed at 69 venues, in 2006 you performed 67 times.

"I do not accept you only got expenses. I give you credit for your guilty pleas and reduce the sentence from the guideline 12 months to that of nine months."

D'Anno was reportedly busted when investigators at Department Of Work And Pensions (DWP) received an anonymous tip that he was still singing. They then found videos and pictures on YouTube and the rocker's own web site of Di'Anno "energetically leaping around on stage, singing to fans around the world."

Di'Anno completed his first North American tour in early 2010, 17 years after he was deported following a prison term for guns and drug offenses.

Kess73

He won't be running free for a few months. But at least he can ask for some sanctuary from the law when his bail hearing rolls around.

DoesNotCompute

wildman metal singer gets jailed... for benefit fraud

Rock 'n' Roll, man. :cool:

scudzilla

I seen him live at Hard Rock Hell in December and he put on a great show, unfortunately you could see that the guy really is fcuked, he hardly moved around the stage and a roadie had to pic his mic up from the floor 3 times.

sconhome

scudzilla wrote: »

I seen him live at Hard Rock Hell in December and he put on a great show, unfortunately you could see that the guy really is fcuked, he hardly moved around the stage and a roadie had to pic his mic up from the floor 3 times.

Shoulda had you as a witness at his hearing

Motley Crue

Judge for yourself, this was recorded in January 2011

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QaWe9Xa4FI

This is an interview from the same week and he doesn't seem that mobile, talks about his health being in trouble etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEohtOYHBus

scudzilla

Saw him a month before that vid and he doesn't move more than 2/3ft away from his mic stand.
OK he's done wrong but 9 months inside is a bit harsh when ya consider most other scumbags seem to be getting away with far worse stuff

AaronEnnis

Im afraid this is the only man who can get away with disability fraud...

D.Q

Comparing him to Bruce is hilarious. Imagine Maiden with that twat at the helm.

Dan_Solo

Motley Crue wrote: »

Judge for yourself, this was recorded in January 2011

Voice is OK, but I don't really agree with people getting disability benefit just because they're fat bustards.

Motley Crue

Dan_Solo wrote: »

Voice is OK, but I don't really agree with people getting disability benefit just because they're fat bustards.

No, I totally agree, he claimed £45,000 and that was wrong. I know it takes a look for an artist to break even in the Industry but if he wasn't making money then he shouldn't have been touring so extensively

Irish Halo

Motley Crue wrote: »

"It took many years to track you down, in 2007 you performed at 69 venues, in 2006 you performed 67 times.

This is what annoys me, all it would have taken is a quick click on http://www.pauldianno.com/tour.php to see that he was a) still touring and b) where to find him on any given night. Why has it taken 9 years?

Kess73

It really was the ides of March for Paul. Maybe in his mind it is some twilight zone and he is an innocent exile.

I hope he is a good boy in there, otherwise he may cross a drifter who is friends with some killers, and there may be some murders in the rue morgue.

That would leave Paul leading another life in purgatory.









Yes I am listening to Killers right now. Such a good album.

Motley Crue

Irish Halo wrote: »

This is what annoys me, all it would have taken is a quick click on http://www.pauldianno.com/tour.php to see that he was a) still touring and b) where to find him on any given night. Why has it taken 9 years?

Administration. The DWP are, without doubt, the most overworked and unappreciated department in the UK. If you're job was to hand out dole money you would soon learn to become disenfranchised and cynical.

To be honest, given his stage name differed from his real name, and given he probably didn't have any physical contact with the DWP beyond his initial claim and given that he was probably never at home (on top of the hassle it takes to get a court summons in the first place and arrange a court date) he was probably well aware - maybe as far back as 2 years ago - that he was in serious trouble already but they always need time to build cases like this.

Nolanger

Should have claimed in Ireland. Wouldn't have got caught!

scudzilla

Hasn't he been living in South America for a number of years?? When he played Hard Rock Hell in December he had only flown into the UK the week before

Star Bingo

unlucky this guy. what were the tours paying? hardly selling out stadiums was he.

temporary employment, a nixer! not worth signing off for imo


oh yeah.. the trap that is 'disability benefit'. unlucky tbh; gotta feel bad for him

Kess73

Star Bingo wrote: »

unlucky this guy. what were the tours paying? hardly selling out stadiums was he.

temporary employment, a nixer! not worth signing off for imo


oh yeah.. the trap that is 'disability benefit'. unlucky tbh; gotta feel bad for him

Not really. He claimed that he could not perform on stage and that as such his earnings were gone.


Bit thick to claim that you were no longer singing with a band and then post up videos on your own websites of yourself on stage, let alone the amount of pics and vids taken by people at the concerts over the years.

Motley Crue

True enough, I've no sympathy for him, seems as though he abused the system. There are a lot of singers out there talking about how hard life is on the road, and that is the truth, yet none of them are abusing the system in order to have a little nestegg for when they return home.

I truly support any singer who goes out to perform in the current climate, anyone who performs for their art, and who makes sacrifices. What this guy has done will give people the impression that all hard-working singers are greedy - that he was taking this benefit money on top of the money earned singing on the road (which many people don't view as a real job to begin with).

A lot of people assume that just because you're a singer and you tour around the world you must have some money to your name. Some of these guys are struggling to break even and pay the bills, just like everyone else, their job just has a different structure to you or I. Paul here felt he could abuse the system and make a little more off the UK Government, and yet, other singers don't take these kinds of liberties to help them get through their job.

Star Bingo

Kess73 wrote: »

Not really. He claimed that he could not perform on stage and that as such his earnings were gone.


Bit thick to claim that you were no longer singing with a band and then post up videos on your own websites of yourself on stage, let alone the amount of pics and vids taken by people at the concerts over the years.

.. well yeah i guess. wonder how much these 60+ shows each year even pay though, i bet the spent old scrounge-rocker couldnt muster a few hundred here but is probably a legendary rock god in south america, so who knows what he earns down there

Kess73

Star Bingo wrote: »

.. well yeah i guess. wonder how much these 60+ shows each year even pay though, i bet the spent old scrounge-rocker couldnt muster a few hundred here but is probably a legendary rock god in south america, so who knows what he earns down there

I have to say that I have no sympathy for him. He does play to big crowds in South America and he often headlines there, so he would not be going there if it were not worth his time financially.

He cost himself his role in Iron Maiden by doing an Axl Rose years before Axl came about.

He used to show up late for gigs and sometimes not at all, causing the band to cancel a fair few gigs. His drug and drink problems did not help either.


In fairness though the warning signs about him were there from the very start. He almost caused Maiden to not get signed up full time when he pulled a knife out during an audition with Rod Smallwood and his team before Maiden had even gotten their first album made.

Anytime he gives interviews he just comes across as bitter and gives the impression that the world owes him a favour.

In his book, he slags off Smallwood and Harris. But he then goes on to slag off members of pretty much every band he has been in, pretty much showing himself up as the one common denominator in the troubles within any band he was in.

He may have sung on one of the favourite Maiden albums, Killers, but I am glad he was given the heave ho as the band may not have stayed together if he had stayed.

Motley Crue

Kess73 wrote: »

He may have sung on one of the favourite Maiden albums, Killers, but I am glad he was given the heave ho as the band may not have stayed together if he had stayed.

Good point