According to the Vancouver Sun, Mel Gibson pleaded no contest on Friday to battering his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, during a heated argument over their ongoing battle for custody of their infant daughter.

Gibson, now 55 years of age, was previously charged with one count of domestic battery. Friday's plea deal allowed him to avoid jail time, instead putting him on three years of probation including domestic violence counseling.

Gibson has been involved in a heated custody battle for nearly a year with Grigorieva over their daughter Lucia. In the course of their custody battle, both parties have leveled claims of wrongdoing against each other.

According to Grigorieva, Gibson punched her during a violent argument on January 6, 2010. In a sworn statement, Gibson admitted to slapping Grigorieva with an open hand, but added that he did so out of concern for their infant daughter, whom Grigorieva had been shaking at the time.

According to Gibson, Grigorieva attempted to extort money from him by using audiotapes featuring a man leveling insults and derogatory statements over a telephone. According to sources, the tapes had been posted on a celebrity website, Radaronline.com and were believed to be of Gibson. The actor claims that the tapes have damaged his career.

The plea deal last Friday came after law enforcement investigated the accusations of both parties. It is still unknown whether an extortion charge will be filed against Grigorieva.

One year in domestic violence counseling, perform 16 hours of community service, as well as pay fines and court costs.

Source: The Vancouver Sun, "Gibson avoids jail time," 14 Mar 2011.