Johnny Depp, Amber Heard make video to end war on terrier

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard emerged to screaming fans after the fight over their two dogs ended in a Gold Coast court.

In scenes reminiscent of a Hollywood red carpet during awards season, Johnny Depp and wife Amber Heard emerged to screaming fans and paparazzi after the year-long fight over their two dogs ended in a Gold Coast court.

Heard, 29, yesterday escaped conviction for failing to declare her two dogs, Pistol and Boo, to Customs when she flew into Australia last April, with the Southport Magistrates Court swayed by a bizarre video of her and Depp recorded for the federal Agriculture Department.

In one of their least convincing on-camera performances, Depp and Heard had appeared wooden as they sombrely apologised for breaking the law while praising Australia’s biosecurity regime.

Their performance may be a reflection of the script — which had been cleared by the department — or because they recorded the video just hours after landing from a long-haul private jet flight.

But it was enough to convince magistrate Bernadette Callaghan that the release of the video would be a better result for Australia than having Heard receive anything more than a one-month good behaviour bond. No conviction was recorded against Heard.

The video was played to the court shortly after Heard pleaded guilty to producing a false document, in exchange of having two quarantine-related charges dropped.

“Australia is a wonderful island, with a treasure trove of unique plants, animals and ­people,” Heard says in the video.

Depp says “it has to be protected”, and that “when you disrespect Australian law, they will tell you firmly”.

Depp ends the video saying: “Declare everything when you enter Australia.”

The couple sat side-by-side near their legal team throughout yesterday’s hearing, with Depp seen to fall asleep at one stage and Heard scribbling messages to her lawyers on post-it notes.

At the end of the hearing, ­people rushed out of surrounding courtrooms to join the throng of fans, photographers, cameramen and prams outside, cheering as the couple’s bodyguard fought a path to a black Mercedes.

Ms Callaghan said Heard had held a genuine belief that her staff had arranged all necessary documentation for the dogs to enter Australia and thought she was not required to declare the animals on her incoming passenger card.

“With regards to the general deterrence, I think quite frankly the department’s better off using that video that had been provided by Mr Depp and Ms Heard,” Ms Callaghan said when sentencing Heard.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who threatened to have the dogs euthanised and was once described by Depp as a “weird, sweaty-pated gut man”, said he put the video on his website ­immediately.

“I want people to watch it. I’m not ashamed at all. I want it to be as widely viewed as we can possibly get it,” Mr Joyce said.