Amber Heard had a criminal prosecution against her in Australia dismissed on Wednesday, August 23, after claims that she lied to a judge about the smuggling of her Yorkshire terriers Pistol and Boo into the country eight years ago.
No Jail Time for Heard
US actress Amber Heard waits before the jury said that they believe she defamed ex-husband Johnny Depp while announcing split verdicts in favor of both her ex-husband Johnny Depp and Heard on their claim and counter-claim in the Depp v. Heard civil defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on June 1, 2022.
While shooting the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film on Australia's Gold Coast in 2015, Heard and her ex-husband Johnny Depp caused a major biosecurity incident by bringing their dogs with them.
An Australian biosecurity agency, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said that 37-year-old Heard will not be prosecuted for allegedly pretending to be unaware of Australia's stringent quarantine requirements. This decision was made by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
The authorities said in a statement, "Prosecution action will not be taken against ... Heard over allegations related to her sentencing for the illegal import of two dogs."
Specifically, the department looked into inconsistencies between her attorney's testimony in an Australian court in 2016 (when she admitted smuggling the dogs) and his testimony in a London court in 2020 (when Depp, 60, was suing The Sun newspaper for libel over accusations of domestic abuse against Heard).
In 2016, Heard admitted in Australia's Southport Magistrates Court that she had lied on an immigration form in order for the couple's canines to enter the country by chartered plane, as reported by USA Today.
Heard had been facing up to ten years in jail for the unlawful importation of the dogs, but the charges were withdrawn.
2015 Dog-Smuggling Scandal
According to USA Today, forging official documents carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of more than $10,000 AUD ($7,650 USD). Instead, Magistrate Bernadette Callaghan gave Heard a good conduct bond for one month, under which she would only have to pay a fine of $1,000 AUD (about $640 USD) if she committed any violation in Australia during that time.
Jeremy Kirk, Heard's attorney, said that his client did not intend to mislead the government when she failed to indicate that she was bringing pets on the incoming passenger card. But, as Kirk said, she was only jetlagged and wrongly thought that her staff had taken care of everything.
Kevin Murphy, a former employee of Depp, said at London's High Court in 2020 that Heard had been advised many times not to bring canines to Australia. However, she insisted on it and subsequently had an employee cover up a violation of quarantine regulations by taking the fall for her.
According to the AP News, the Australian government cooperated with foreign agencies to determine whether Heard had lied to them about her familiarity with biosecurity regulations in Australia and if an employee had falsified a statutory statement out of fear of losing their job.
A summary of the department's evidence against Heard was sent to prosecutors, but the latter decided not to press charges.
Also Read: Johnny Depp Donates $1 Million Defamation Settlement From Amber Heard
