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A Sydney court hearing addressing the small matter of the 48 vials of banned human growth hormone discovered on prime aged USDA beefcake Sylvester Stallone has elicited a mea culpa from the sexagenarean action star, reports the Sydney Morning Herald:

In his written apology, Stallone, who was not present in court, said he had made a "terrible mistake" but that he was ignorant of Australian laws.

However John Agius, SC, for the Commonwealth DPP, said the facts of Stallone's case indicated continuing criminal conduct, after 48 vials of human growth hormone were found by customs at Sydney airport.

He also said the US actor tried to "cover up" another offense by throwing four vials of testosterone out of his Sydney hotel window.

Sure, to the jaded eye of a prosecutor, the launching of four tubes of testosterone off a hotel balcony moments before a police search of the premises may have seemed like the behavior of someone aware that his Rocky's-little-helpers were contraband. The suspicious actions took on a far less incriminating tone, however, when the actor's barrister calmly explained that Stallone was merely dispensing some personal memorabilia among the gathered, street-level fans, instantly sending them leaping for the rolling vials of miracle injectables that allow their aging screen hero to inflate himself to less saggy, John Rambo-worthy proportions.