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Sharif pleads not guilty
07/12/2005 11:29 - (SA)
Beverly Hills - Actor Omar Sharif entered a not-guilty plea to misdemeanour charges alleging that he assaulted a valet who refused to accept his European currency.
Sharif, 73, was not required to be in court on Tuesday and his plea was entered through lawyer Harold Brown.
A pre-trial date was set for January 10.
According to a civil lawsuit filed in October by the valet, Sharif and a female companion were leaving a steakhouse in Beverly Hills on June 11 when the actor became upset that his Porsche SUV was not waiting.
Sharif was belligerent and intoxicated and called the valet a "stupid Mexican" when he refused to accept a €20 note, the lawsuit claimed.
Juan Anderson, the Guatemalan immigrant who is suing, alleged Sharif then punched him. Anderson is seeking $50 000 in civil penalties, unspecified damages and attorney fees.
Police spokesperson lieutenant Mitch McCann said Anderson refused medical treatment and had no visible injuries.
One of Sharif's lawyer, Martin Singer, has said Sharif did not hit the valet and was being targeted because he's famous.
In August 2003, Sharif was convicted of striking a police officer at a casino near Paris. He received a one-month suspended sentence and a $1 700 fine.
The Egyptian-born actor is best known for roles in Dr Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia.
- AP
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South Africa
