Johnny Depp libel case: LAPD officer saw ‘no injuries’ on Amber Heard’s face

High Court told Heard was ‘uncooperative’ with police and unwilling to make a statement

A Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer who attended Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp's luxury LA penthouse after he allegedly struck Amber Heard in the face with her own mobile phone “did not see any injuries”, the High Court has heard.

On the fourth day of Depp's libel case against the publisher of The Sun – News Group Newspapers (NGN) – LAPD officer Melissa Saenz said she saw no marks on Heard's face after the alleged incident in May 2016.

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Heard, 34, claims the 57-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean actor arrived at the penthouse “drunk and high”, became “enraged” and then threw her mobile phone at her “like someone throwing a baseball”, striking her in the eye.

Actor Johnny Depp leaving the High Court in London after a hearing in his libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton.Actor Johnny Depp leaving the High Court in London after a hearing in his libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton.
Actor Johnny Depp leaving the High Court in London after a hearing in his libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton.

Actress Heard, who first met Depp after the pair starred in the big-screen adaptation of the Hunter S Thompson novel The Rum Diary, also claims that her ex-husband started smashing things in the apartment with a wine bottle before leaving.

But Depp says he went to the penthouse to collect some belongings and that Heard's allegations are part of a “choreographed hoax”.

Saenz, a specialist in domestic violence, was one of two LAPD officers who attended the apartment on May 21 2016, and said Heard was "visibly upset".

Giving evidence by videolink from Los Angeles, she said: “Her face was red, it was clear that she was crying.”

However, Saenz said it did not appear there were any injuries and told the court her examination of Heard's face was “extremely thorough”.

She also told the court that she did not know that it was Depp who was alleged to have been violent.

The officer said Heard was “uncooperative” with police and was unwilling to make a statement, and confirmed the case file was closed shortly after officers attended the penthouse.

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The officer guessed she was there for “30 to 60 minutes” but Sasha Wass QC, for NGN, said CCTV showed the officers left about 15 minutes after arriving.

The barrister suggested: “Perhaps you didn't give the care to this case that you say you did.”

She added: “In fact, Heard had a mark to her right cheek, whether you saw it or whether you didn't look carefully,” to which Saenz said: “She didn't.”

The officer said: “I searched the entire flat and there was no damage, there was no broken glass ... nothing out of the ordinary.”

Wass also asked about whether Saenz had heard of Sean Bett – a former LAPD officer who worked for Depp as his security guard, and she said she had not.

Saenz confirmed she did not tell anyone else in the apartment building her identity, and that only Heard and the two people with her would have known her name.

Wass said the case file “would only be accessible to the LAPD or someone who had influence within the LAPD”, with which Saenz agreed.

Wass asked if she was “able to say how your identity was released to people outside the LAPD”.

Saenz replied: “I'm not aware.”

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Depp's barrister, David Sherborne, then asked her: “Did you or did you not get a clear look at Ms Heard's face?”

He also asked: “Did you see any marks at all of any kind suggesting injury on her face?”

Saenz replied: “No, I didn't.”

Cross-examining Depp earlier on Friday, Wass said the actor was “spoiling for a fight” with Ms Heard over whether one of their dogs, or one of Heard's friends, left faeces in the couple's bed.

She suggested Depp brought up “the defecation incident” to provoke a row, but he said Ms Heard brought it up.

Wass also said that Depp was “screaming at Ms Heard” and then picked up a magnum of wine and started swinging it around, smashing things with it.

He said: “I disagree.”

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