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July 22, 2020

Amber Heard tells Sun libel trial Johnny Depp threw bottles ‘like grenades’

By PA Mediapoint

Amber Heard has claimed Johnny Depp threw bottles “like grenades” during an alleged explosive row in Australia.

The Aquaman actress claimed she was “too scared to look behind” her as the actor threw “all the bottles in reach” – around 30 in total.

Heard, 34, was asked about the alleged incident in Australia in March 2015 – which she has previously described as a “three-day hostage situation” – as she entered the witness box for the third day.

She is giving evidence in her ex-husband’s libel claim against Sun publisher News Group Newspapers and its executive editor Dan Wootton over an April 2018 article that labelled him a “wife beater”.

Heard has accused Depp of repeatedly assaulting her during the Australia trip, fuelled by drink and drugs, which he denies.

On Wednesday, Eleanor Laws QC, representing Depp, 57, put it to Heard that during the alleged Australia incident the actress “worked yourself into a rage, screaming at him” and threw a glass bottle.

Heard said she got angry “at times” but “not to the extent where I would throw anything at him offensively”.

In response to a suggestion from Laws that she threw a bottle at Depp’s head, smashing a mirror behind him, Heard said she did break a bottle “very early” on the second evening of the trip, and it was “before Johnny had started to throw the bottles at me”.

She claimed the couple were in an argument about Depp drinking and when she confronted him, he offered her the bottle.

Heard told the court: “He said, ‘Oh yeah, you want it? Here, take it’, and at that point drinking had already been… he had already given it up for a while and it was on the list of ‘if this happens, I leave’ sort of thing. It was no-fly.

“And he gestured to offer it to me and I reached to take it and he pulled it back.”

She said Depp was “teasing me to take it” and then pulling it away.

Heard went on to say she “reached for it a second time and I smashed it on the floor in between Johnny and I”.

She added: “I regret I did that.”

Heard then told the court: “He started picking them [bottles] up one by one and throwing them like grenades.

“One after the other after the other, in my direction, and I felt glass breaking behind me, I retreated more into the bar and he didn’t stop.

“I was too scared to look behind me. He threw all the bottles that were in reach, all except for one which was a celebratory magnum-sized bottle of wine.”

Heard said she remembered that was the only bottle not smashed out of 30 or so.

The court has previously heard that Depp’s finger was severed during the alleged incident, with the film star claiming Heard was responsible, which she denies.

Laws put it to Heard that the injury was caused by her “throwing a bottle in his direction, smashing it down and severing the tip of his finger with glass,” to which Heard replied: “No.”

She also denied stubbing a cigarette out on Depp’s cheek, saying the Pirates Of The Caribbean star did it to himself.

Laws said: “You did it, didn’t you?” To which Heard replied: “No, Johnny did it right in front of me, he often did things like that.”

Laws said: “According to you, Mr Depp sliced his finger off all on his own… and then carried on attacking you.”

Heard said: “Yes, he did. I don’t think he meant to sever the finger but yes he did continue the attack.”

The actress, 34, has accused Depp, 57, of both verbal and physical abuse throughout their relationship – allegedly punching, slapping, kicking, headbutting and choking her, as well as displaying “extremely controlling and intimidating behaviour”.

However, Depp says he was not violent towards Heard, claiming it was she who was violent to him.

After Heard finished giving evidence Joshua Drew, who is the former husband of Heard’s friend Raquel “Rocky” Pennington, gave his account of an alleged incident at the Eastern Columbia Building, on 21 May 2016, in which Heard claims Depp threw a mobile phone at her, which he denies.

Drew claims that after the alleged episode, he and Pennington ushered Heard into their apartment and “deadbolted the door to keep him out and keep her safe until Johnny had left the building”.

He said Pennington told him Depp had “shoved her” and he “got angry” and went and “banged on the door” of another apartment before going back to his own.

He claimed that around five minutes later, Depp’s then security guard, Jerry Judge, called him and asked him if he knew where Depp’s mobile phone was.

Drew claimed he told Judge he had it and they could come and get it but said “words to the effect of they could not set foot in the building”.

Drew alleged: “I met Jerry downstairs and gave him the phone.

“He took a few steps to walk away and then turned and asked me ‘Is she okay?’

“I said something like, ‘Are you f***ing kidding me? He beat the shit out of her again and you guys stood by and watched it’.

“He started to demur and then said something along the lines of it’s not his business, they are husband and wife, he barely touched her.

“I said something to him like, ‘get the f*** out of here, be real proud of yourself; get the f*** out’.”

Picture: Kirsty O’Connor/PA Wire

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