rudd , who previously denied all allegations , made a surprise guilty plea tuesday before the trial began .
the 60-year-old australian was arrested in november last year after police found methamphetamine and cannabis while executing a search warrant at his home in new zealand .
rudd fired several employees because the release of his solo album in august had flopped in the charts .
as a result of the threats made by the defendant , the victim was genuinely very fearful of his safety .