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WATCH: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard make public apology for Australian 'war on terrier' dog trial

Updated 08.10: Johnny Depp's wife Amber Heard has received a AUS$1,000 (€679) good behaviour...
Newstalk
Newstalk

07.02 18 Apr 2016


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WATCH: Johnny Depp and Amber H...

WATCH: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard make public apology for Australian 'war on terrier' dog trial

Newstalk
Newstalk

07.02 18 Apr 2016


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Updated 08.10:

Johnny Depp's wife Amber Heard has received a AUS$1,000 (€679) good behaviour bond with no conviction after pleading guilty to providing a false immigration document which failed to declare her dogs.

The actress had two other, more serious charges of illegally importing the terriers Pistol and Boo into the country dismissed.

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A conviction on the illegal importation counts could have sent Heard to prison for up to 10 years.

The false documents charge carried a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a fine of over AUS$10,000 (€6,796).

"If she keeps her nose clean for one month, she pays nothing," said Channel 9 reporter Joel Dry.

"The magistrate decided that all this media attention and bad news was probably punishment enough".

Heard arrived at Southport Magistrates' Court in Queensland this morning accompanied by Depp.

The couple were swarmed by reporters when they arrived in a black limousine.

They said little apart from Depp responding "Fine, thank you," to journalists shouting questions about how Pistol and Boo were doing.

Twelve witnesses had been listed to give evidence, but it was unclear whether Depp was one of them.

The case, dubbed the "war on terrier", began in May last year when Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce accused Depp of sneaking the terriers aboard his private jet when he returned to Australia for the filming of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'.

Australia has strict quarantine regulations to prevent diseases such as rabies from spreading to its shores. Bringing pets into the country involves applying for a permit and quarantine on arrival of at least 10 days.

"If we start letting movie stars - even though they've been the sexiest man alive twice - to come into our nation (with pets), then why don't we just break the laws for everybody?" Mr Joyce said at the time.

"It's time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States".

Depp and Heard were given 72 hours to send Pistol and Boo back to the US, with officials warning that the dogs would otherwise be euthanised. The pooches boarded a flight home just hours before the deadline ran out.

The couple recorded a public apology for the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources that was played out in court.


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