Actor Stallone pleads guilty in hormone import case

15/05/2007 09:35

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone pleaded guilty on Tuesday and apologised for illegally importing 48 vials of banned human growth hormone into Australia.

Stallone’s lawyer, Phillip Boulten, told a Sydney court that Stallone admitted two charges of importing a prohibited substance when he arrived at Sydney airport from the United States in February on a promotional tour.

"His apology to the court is an apology in broad terms, meant to convey both to the general public, the community, and to the justice system itself, his regret," Boulten said.

Stallone, 60, was not in the court for the hearing, during which the court was told the actor threw four vials of testosterone out of a Sydney hotel window during a later raid on his room by Customs officers. He will be sentenced on Monday.

Government prosecutor David Agius told the court that Stallone’s actions suggested an awareness he had broken the law.

But Boulten said Stallone was taking hormone under doctors’ supervision for a medical condition not revealed in court.

"This is not some back alley body builder dealing covertly with some banned substance in some sort of secret way," he said, adding the incident had caused the actor "a great deal of discomfort".

The Australian Customs Service charged Stallone with two counts .....continued below

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of importing a prohibited item when he was detained at Sydney airport on February 16.

Customs said the 48 vials of prohibited human growth hormone were found in his luggage. The maximum fine for the offence is A$110,000 (46,000 pounds).

Stallone left Australia on February 19, after a three-day visit to promote his new film, Rocky Balboa, bound for Thailand to shoot his latest Rambo movie.