Actor Omar Sharif Pleads No Contest To Misdemeanor
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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Omar Sharif pleaded no contest yesterday to misdemeanor battery and was ordered to take an anger management course for punching a parking valet who refused to accept his European currency.
The Egyptian-born actor, known for his roles in “Doctor Zhivago” and “Lawrence of Arabia,” wasn’t required to be in court and the plea was entered on his behalf by attorney Harland Braun. Sharif, 74, was in Egypt yesterday.
Superior Court Judge Richard Stone placed Mr. Sharif on two years’ probation and ordered a 15-hour anger management program, which he can take in Egypt. Mr. Sharif was also ordered to stay 100 yards away from the victim, witnesses, and the restaurant where the incident occurred.
The judge set an April 18 hearing to determine the amount of restitution to the victim. Outside court, Mr. Braun said the victim was asking $17,000 for a broken nose.
“It’s a trial over a nose,” Mr. Braun said.
A no-contest plea is the same as a guilty plea for sentencing purposes in a criminal case, but it can’t be used as an admission of guilt in a civil case.
A civil lawsuit filed by valet Juan Anderson alleged Mr. Sharif and a female companion were leaving Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills on June 11, 2005, when the actor became upset that his Porsche sport utility vehicle wasn’t waiting.
