Australian prosecutors drop their case against Amber Heard in connection with allegations of smuggling Yorkshire terriers
The American actress Amber Heard was accused of lying to a court about the circumstances surrounding the entry of her Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, into Australia eight years ago, but Australian prosecutors have decided not to pursue a possible criminal case against her. The Australian government made this decision public on Wednesday.
The Biosecurity Debate and Its Relationship to “Pirates of the Caribbean”
When Heard brought her pets to Australia’s Gold Coast in 2015, she and her then-husband Johnny Depp became embroiled in a highly publicized biosecurity dispute. While Depp was filming the fifth entry in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series, this incident took place.
Examination of Supposedly False Information
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which is in charge of enforcing biosecurity laws, opened an investigation into claims that Heard misled a local court in that country in 2016. She stated outright at the time that she had brought the canines into the nation against the law. When testimony was given in a London court in 2020 during Depp’s defamation case against The Sun tabloid, contradictions were found.
Charges Dropped and Sentencing Results
The more serious accusations connected to the illegal importation of the canines, which carried a potential 10-year prison sentence, were finally dropped by the prosecution. Heard was instead charged with providing false paperwork, a crime that carries a potential sentence of one year in jail and a fine of more than 10,000 Australian dollars ($7,650). Heard entered a guilty plea in the Australian court of Southport Magistrates in 2016 for presenting a forged immigration document.
Legal Defenses and Witness Testimony
Heard’s attorney, Jeremy Kirk, said that his client did not intend to mislead authorities by omitting to list the animals on her inbound passenger card. Kirk claimed that Heard thought her aides had taken care of the essential paperwork since she was traveling-weary. Kevin Murphy, a former Johnny Depp employee, told in court in London that Heard had been warned repeatedly against bringing canines into Australia. He further claimed that she rejected these warnings and eventually forced a staff member to take the blame for breaking quarantine regulations.
Collaboration and Resolution on a Global Scale
International organizations and the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry worked together to look into whether Heard had given fraudulent testimony regarding her comprehension of Australian biosecurity laws. They also looked at whether a worker had been threatened with losing their job if they made a dishonest statement. Despite giving prosecutors evidence, no formal charges were ultimately brought.
What Happened to the infamous Yorkshire Terriers
When the dogs were found in May 2015, Depp and Heard were given a 50-hour deadline by the government. They were compelled to euthanize the canines or repatriate them to the United States. Amber Heard became the new owner of Pistol and Boo when the pair divorced in 2017.