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LOS ANGELES — A parking lot attendant who claimed he was punched by Omar Sharif has won a knockout decision in court.
Superior Court Judge Joe W. Hilberman entered a default judgment Tuesday for more than $318,000 in damages in favor of Juan Luis Ochoa Anderson when the 75-year-old actor failed to show up for a deposition, according to court documents.
Calls to Sharif's publicist and Anderson's lawyer after business hours Wednesday were not immediately returned.
Sharif pleaded no contest last year to misdemeanor battery and was ordered to take an anger management course for the incident outside a Beverly Hills steakhouse in 2005.
According to the lawsuit, the Egyptian-born actor known for roles in "Dr. Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia" was belligerent and intoxicated and called Anderson, a Guatemalan immigrant, a "stupid Mexican" when he refused to accept a 20 euro note.
Anderson alleged Sharif then punched him.
Anderson was awarded total damages of $318,190 plus costs and attorneys' fees, according to court documents.
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.
