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Article  Cop that! Suave Omar lost his rag and $52,000  August
9, 2003  Printer friendly version Print this article Email to a
friend Email to a friend  Omar Sharif, the suave film persona,
has been convicted of butting a police officer at a casino in
the Paris suburbs. The star of Dr Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia
lost his temper last month when he was in the process of losing
€30,000 ($52,000) at the roulette table.  Sharif began arguing
with the croupier, who summoned the police. When an officer
arrived at the Enghien-les-Bains casino and asked him to leave,
the 71-year-old grew angrier still, began swearing, and butted
the policeman, who was given two days off work to recover.
Sharif was given a one-month suspended sentence, fined €1500 and
ordered to pay €300 damages to the officer.  Sharif claimed in
court that he had no memory of the event.  Despite repeated
protestations that his gambling past was behind him, Sharif was
a regular at the Enghie