Journey’s Deen Castronovo Sentenced in Domestic Assault Case
Journey drummer Deen Castronovo has been sentenced to four years probation after pleading guilty to domestic abuse. Castronovo, who replaced Steve Smith in 1998, was arrested last June after an altercation at his Salem, Ore., home.
The drummer was initially charged with assault, coercion and menacing. Later, the charges were updated to include rape, sexual abuse and unlawful use of a weapon. Castronovo was subsequently arrested again for violating a no-contact order after police say he texted the woman involved in this incident more than 120 times and called her 35 times.
He has also been ordered by a Salem judge to undergo domestic violence and drug counseling. Castronovo risks five years in prison is he violates any of the terms of his sentence.
Journey, meanwhile, replaced him with Omar Hakim for the band's summer tour. Castronovo had earlier worked with Journey's Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain in Bad English, and also played drums with Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler, as well as with Steve Vai and Paul Rodgers.
Unfortunately, this isn't Castronovo's first run-in with the law. He was charged with four-degree assault, harassment, coercion, second-degree criminal mischief and interfering with making a report in a 2012 incident involving another girlfriend. That case had a similar resolution, when Castronovo agreed to perform 80 hours of community service and attend anger-management classes.
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