Australia quietly drops prosecution case against Amber Heard over illegal import of dogs Pistol, Boo to the country
Australia is quietly dropping the prosecution case against Amber Heard over the illegal importation of Pistol, Boo dogs into the country
- Amber Heard did not report the dogs Pistol and Boo
- In 2015, she broke Australian quarantine laws
- Authorities dropped the prosecution this week
Australia will not prosecute Hollywood star Amber Heard over allegations she lied about bringing her two dogs Pistol and Boo to the country eight years ago.
The dog debacle — which swept Australia in mid-2015 and spawned a threat from Barnaby Joyce to put the puppies to sleep and an infamous “hostage” video apology from Heard and her ex-partner Johnny Depp — ended this week as authorities quietly released their stop prosecution. action.
Heard broke Australia’s strict quarantine rules when she brought the pair of Yorkshire terriers into the country in May 2015 without declaring them.
Amber Heard (pictured with her then-partner Johnny Depp in 2016) will not face charges of perjury related to her illegal importation of Pistol and Boo dogs in 2015
Heard broke Australia’s strict quarantine rules when she brought the pair of Yorkshire terriers (pictured) into the country in May 2015 without declaring them
It sparked a national scandal after the then Secretary of Agriculture Mr Joyce threatened to have the dogs euthanized if Heard and Depp didn’t “go back to the US”.
Agriculture Department authorities had launched an investigation into Heard over allegations of perjury following the developments in Depp’s 2020 libel case against The Sun newspaper.
It was alleged that Heard had lied because he was aware of Australia’s strict quarantine regulations.
In a statement this week, the department said Heard would not be prosecuted.
“The department has been working with agencies, both in Australia and abroad, to investigate these claims against Ms Heard,” the department said.
“A brief piece of evidence was referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, who made the decision not to prosecute in this case, having applied the Commonwealth’s prosecution policy.”
Commonwealth prosecution policies include determining whether a case is too ‘trivial’ to prosecute, as well as taking into account how long ago an alleged offense occurred.
Agriculture Department authorities had been investigating Heard over allegations of perjury following developments in Depp’s 2020 libel case against The Sun newspaper
Depp and Heard (pictured in 2016) apologized together for the breach in a clumsily filmed video, which has been likened to a hostage situation or “proof of life” video
Heard eventually escaped conviction and instead paid a fine for the offense in 2016.
Along with Depp, she took part in a strange video apology in which she praised Australia’s biosafety laws and apologized for the violation.
It was mocked for being likened to a “hostage video” or a “proof-of-life” clip.