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| Johnny Depp's lawyer calls Amber Heard a 'compulsive liar' and 'abuser' | Johnny Depp's lawyer calls Amber Heard a 'compulsive liar' and 'abuser' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| High court hears closing remarks on final day of three-week libel case exposing couple’s troubled relationship | |
| Amber Heard was a “compulsive liar” and the “abuser” in her marriage to Johnny Depp, the high court was told on the final day of the three-week libel case that has exposed the couple’s troubled relationship. | Amber Heard was a “compulsive liar” and the “abuser” in her marriage to Johnny Depp, the high court was told on the final day of the three-week libel case that has exposed the couple’s troubled relationship. |
| “From the big points to the small points, Ms Heard has proved herself to be a wholly unreliable witness, and, frankly, a compulsive liar, and I don’t say that lightly,” David Sherborne, Depp’s lawyer, told the court in his closing submissions. | “From the big points to the small points, Ms Heard has proved herself to be a wholly unreliable witness, and, frankly, a compulsive liar, and I don’t say that lightly,” David Sherborne, Depp’s lawyer, told the court in his closing submissions. |
| A recording made between Depp and Heard, in which she refers to hitting the Pirates of the Caribbean star, demonstrated her propensity to violence, he said. “At its very core, we say it demonstrates that she is the abuser, not Mr Depp. He is no wife-beater,” Sherborne told Mr Justice Nicol. | A recording made between Depp and Heard, in which she refers to hitting the Pirates of the Caribbean star, demonstrated her propensity to violence, he said. “At its very core, we say it demonstrates that she is the abuser, not Mr Depp. He is no wife-beater,” Sherborne told Mr Justice Nicol. |
| He added: “If it was a man who had said what Ms Heard said and who had admitted to what she admitted to, if this was Mr Depp for example, and it was the other way around, can you imagine what consternation there would be?,” he said. | He added: “If it was a man who had said what Ms Heard said and who had admitted to what she admitted to, if this was Mr Depp for example, and it was the other way around, can you imagine what consternation there would be?,” he said. |
| Highlighting one text message sent by Heard, in which she wrote: “This is Amber and I get what I want”, Sherborne said Heard had chopped and changed her evidence, and accused others of lying as she maintained her allegations that Depp was violent towards her. | Highlighting one text message sent by Heard, in which she wrote: “This is Amber and I get what I want”, Sherborne said Heard had chopped and changed her evidence, and accused others of lying as she maintained her allegations that Depp was violent towards her. |
| “Doctors were lying, nurses were lying, police officers are lying, only Ms Heard, who was at pains to repeat the well-rehearsed mantra that she was not here to call anyone a liar, only Ms Heard was correct at all times no matter what,” said Sherborne. | “Doctors were lying, nurses were lying, police officers are lying, only Ms Heard, who was at pains to repeat the well-rehearsed mantra that she was not here to call anyone a liar, only Ms Heard was correct at all times no matter what,” said Sherborne. |
| Depp, 57, is suing the Sun’s publishers, News Group Newspapers, and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article that called him a “wife beater” and referred to “overwhelming evidence” that he had attacked Heard. Depp denies ever hitting Heard, 34, who has submitted details of 14 occasions during their relationship when she claims he assaulted her. | Depp, 57, is suing the Sun’s publishers, News Group Newspapers, and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article that called him a “wife beater” and referred to “overwhelming evidence” that he had attacked Heard. Depp denies ever hitting Heard, 34, who has submitted details of 14 occasions during their relationship when she claims he assaulted her. |
| Sasha Wass, QC, for News Group Newspapers’ has said its defence “is one of truth, namely that Mr Depp did indeed beat his wife.” | Sasha Wass, QC, for News Group Newspapers’ has said its defence “is one of truth, namely that Mr Depp did indeed beat his wife.” |
| Describing Heard as a “complex individual with a complex history, medical and emotional”, Sherborne said from the moment Heard left an LA court house, after seeking a restraining order against Depp in front of a “barrage” of media, she had become an advocate for victims of domestic violence. | Describing Heard as a “complex individual with a complex history, medical and emotional”, Sherborne said from the moment Heard left an LA court house, after seeking a restraining order against Depp in front of a “barrage” of media, she had become an advocate for victims of domestic violence. |
| “She has picked up her theme and run with it. New allegations of domestic violence have tumbled out over the years … even more in this courtroom. It is hard to keep up,” he said. | “She has picked up her theme and run with it. New allegations of domestic violence have tumbled out over the years … even more in this courtroom. It is hard to keep up,” he said. |
| The Sun article had “tried, convicted and sentenced,” Depp on an allegation that he has always said was “completely untrue”. That was why he had brought the case, “subjecting himself to this painful, public process”. | The Sun article had “tried, convicted and sentenced,” Depp on an allegation that he has always said was “completely untrue”. That was why he had brought the case, “subjecting himself to this painful, public process”. |
| “Why else would Mr Depp, this private man as he explained, expose all the most intimate details of his private life”, he said. | “Why else would Mr Depp, this private man as he explained, expose all the most intimate details of his private life”, he said. |
| Sherborne added: “He has never hit a woman in his entire life, period, full stop, nada”. Crucially, he had also never been accused of it, apart from by Heard, he added. | Sherborne added: “He has never hit a woman in his entire life, period, full stop, nada”. Crucially, he had also never been accused of it, apart from by Heard, he added. |
| The newspaper had chosen to “convict” Depp, “and that is what they seek to do in this court, to prove that this reputation-destroying, career-ending allegation is true”. | The newspaper had chosen to “convict” Depp, “and that is what they seek to do in this court, to prove that this reputation-destroying, career-ending allegation is true”. |
| The court required “compelling and cogent evidence” before finding the allegation someone is guilty of a serious criminal offence. This was particularly important “where there are two diametrically opposed accounts”, said Sherborne. “One side is obviously lying and one side is telling the truth.” | The court required “compelling and cogent evidence” before finding the allegation someone is guilty of a serious criminal offence. This was particularly important “where there are two diametrically opposed accounts”, said Sherborne. “One side is obviously lying and one side is telling the truth.” |
| The court had heard “astonishingly self-serving and fictionalised” accounts of what Heard was thinking at the time of the alleged violence, in an unsent email she wrote, and also in her “secret feelings book that reads more like a novella than anything which matches reality”, he said. | The court had heard “astonishingly self-serving and fictionalised” accounts of what Heard was thinking at the time of the alleged violence, in an unsent email she wrote, and also in her “secret feelings book that reads more like a novella than anything which matches reality”, he said. |
| Heard had taken secret footage of Depp kicking a kitchen sink. But, in all the years of violence that she alleges “when she has her phone at the ready, where is the secret recording of Mr Depp knocking seven bells out of her, grabbing her by the throat, pulling her by the hair, screaming at her?” he said. | Heard had taken secret footage of Depp kicking a kitchen sink. But, in all the years of violence that she alleges “when she has her phone at the ready, where is the secret recording of Mr Depp knocking seven bells out of her, grabbing her by the throat, pulling her by the hair, screaming at her?” he said. |
| Of photographs taken by Heard’s friends allegedly showing injuries caused by Depp, he said: “They are taken of an actress, someone who is familiar with the use of make up.” | Of photographs taken by Heard’s friends allegedly showing injuries caused by Depp, he said: “They are taken of an actress, someone who is familiar with the use of make up.” |
| The fact Depp had a history of consuming alcohol and taking drugs was not “newsworthy”, and he had been “candid” about his use of certain substances. Heard, he added, had “deliberately sought to hide or play down her misuse of drink or illegal drugs.” | The fact Depp had a history of consuming alcohol and taking drugs was not “newsworthy”, and he had been “candid” about his use of certain substances. Heard, he added, had “deliberately sought to hide or play down her misuse of drink or illegal drugs.” |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |