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Depp's wife Amber Heard avoids Australia dog-smuggling conviction | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Amber Heard, the wife of actor Johnny Depp, has avoided conviction for illegally taking dogs into Australia. | |
Ms Heard, who appeared in court on Monday, had pleaded guilty to making a false statement on her immigration card about the couple's Yorkshire terriers. | |
But the Queensland judge gave her a one-month good behaviour bond with no conviction recorded. If she breaks the bond she must pay A$1,000 ($770;£540). | |
Two illegal importation charges against her were dropped earlier. | |
These carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail or fines of up to A$265,000. | |
Ms Heard and Mr Depp both attended Southport Magistrate's Court in Queensland state, amid a media scrum. | |
Her guilty plea meant Mr Depp was excused from giving evidence to the court. | |
Ms Heard brought the dogs, Pistol and Boo, to Queensland in a private jet in May 2015 to visit Mr Depp, who was filming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. | |
The dogs' presence in the country was noticed after a local dog groomer posted a photo of them on social media. | |
Ms Heard pleaded guilty to declaring "No" on her immigration card under the section asking if she was bringing anything, including animals, into the country. | |
Her lawyer argued that the actress had done so because she thought Mr Depp's assistants had already sorted out the dogs' travel documents. | |
A video was also shown in court in which the couple expressed remorse and advised travellers to respect Australian laws. | |
Australia's quarantine laws | |
The case was dubbed the "war on terrier" and made international headlines when then-agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, said the pets should "bugger off back to the US". | |
Mr Joyce, who is now deputy prime minister, threatened to put the dogs down and said even the "sexiest man alive" needed to adhere to quarantine rules. | Mr Joyce, who is now deputy prime minister, threatened to put the dogs down and said even the "sexiest man alive" needed to adhere to quarantine rules. |
The dogs were quickly taken out of the country and Ms Heard vowed never to return to Australia. | The dogs were quickly taken out of the country and Ms Heard vowed never to return to Australia. |
Australia's tough quarantine laws are designed to keep disease at bay. Dogs entering from the US must spend 10 days in quarantine. | Australia's tough quarantine laws are designed to keep disease at bay. Dogs entering from the US must spend 10 days in quarantine. |