Crowe admits hotel phone assault

Crowe has apologised on TV for his violent outburst

Actor Russell Crowe has pleaded guilty to assaulting a hotel clerk by throwing a telephone at him in New York in June.

The star told a US court he understood the charge against him, which carries a maximum jail term of seven years, and accepted his actions had caused injury.

The judge conditionally discharged Crowe, urging him to avoid re-arrest in the next year.

Crowe threw the phone at clerk Nestor Estrada in apparent annoyance at being unable to reach his wife in Australia.

Mr Estrada received a small cut to the face.

Gladiator star

Appearing on a US television chat show in August, the Oscar-winning actor said the incident was "possibly the most shameful situation that I've ever gotten myself in... and I've done some pretty dumb things in my life".

He said the outburst was the result of "jet lag, loneliness and adrenalin".

Also in August, Crowe released a statement saying he had reached a settlement with the injured hotel clerk. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

The charge of assault and criminal possession of a weapon - in this case, the telephone - carries a maximum jail term of seven years and could have robbed Crowe of the right to work in the US.

The New Zealand-born actor, 41, is best known for his starring role in the films Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind.