JOURNEY Drummer DEEN CASTRONOVO Pleads Guilty To Domestic Abuse

According to the Statesman Journal, JOURNEY drummer Deen Castronovo has been sentenced to four years probation after pleading guilty to domestic abuse. The 51-year-old musician, who replaced Steve Smith as JOURNEY's drummer in 1998, was arrested last June after an altercation at his Salem, Oregon, home.

Castronovo pleaded guilty to two counts of assault in the fourth degree constituting domestic violence, two counts of menacing constituting domestic violence, unlawful use of a weapon and coercion. He has been ordered by a Salem judge to undergo domestic violence and drug counseling and risks five years in prison is he violates any of the terms of his sentence.

Castronovo was initially arrested on June 14 and charged with fourth-degree assault, coercion and menacing.

After being released on $20,000 bail on June 15, Castronovo called the victim 35 times and sent her 122 text messages, despite being under a court order to have no contact with her. He was arrested again on June 29 on a grand jury indictment which charged him with five counts of fourth-degree assault, one count of first-degree rape, two counts of menacing, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of second-degree assault, one count of second-degree sex abuse, one count of coercion, one count of second-degree criminal mischief, and three counts of contempt of court.

At a July 1 bail hearing, Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gardiner said that Castronovo threw the woman into a wall 14 times, pulled her hair and forced her to have sex with him.

It was also revealed that, upon Castronovo's arrest on June 14, he was first taken to Salem Hospital because he had overdosed on methamphetamine.

JOURNEY hired drummer Omar Hakim to sit behind the kit for the band's summer tour of North America. He made his live debut with the group at their June 20 concert at the Hollywood Bowl.