Journey drummer Deen Castronovo has pleaded guilty to several domestic violence charges.

The musician was arrested in June on charges of domestic violence and appeared in a court in Salem, Oregon on Monday (12.10.15) where he was sentenced to four years on probation.

As well as the probation period, he is being made to undergo counselling to stop him re-offending and to prevent drug abuse.

If he breaks the terms of his sentence, he could face up to five years in prison.

The 51-year-old star - who joined the band in 1998 - was previously arrested for a similar offence on his girlfriend in 2012 which he described at the time as a ''misunderstanding''.

He said: ''It was a misunderstanding that should not have been escalated to such a level in the first place''.

The 'Don't Stop Believin' hitmakers removed Deen from the band in June following the latest charges and it has not yet been confirmed whether he will return in light of the court's verdict.

At the time, a statement from the band - whose 14th album 'Eclipse' was released in 2013 - said: ''We, Journey, have made the decision to have Omar Hakim play drums for the band's upcoming US concerts (Hollywood Bowl on Saturday, June 20 and the Stadium of Fire in Provo, Utah on Saturday, July 4), as well as the band's Canadian tour (July 6 - August 3), due to Deen Castronovo's pending issues. We are very grateful to Omar filling in with his musical excellence.''