Champion jockey Oisin Murphy pleads guilty to drink driving offence
The 29-year-old appeared at Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday afternoon where he pleaded guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol.
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He was not asked to plead on another count of failing to cooperate with a preliminary test at the roadside.
The four-times champion was charged by postal requisition on 19 June after he drove his grey Mercedes A Class off the road and into a tree in Hermitage, Berkshire, at about 12.05am on 27 April.
He was officially charged on the Thursday of Royal Ascot week, when he rode a double courtesy of Arabian Story and Never So Brave. He ended the showpiece meeting with five winners in total.
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Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Oisin Murphy returns to track day after drink-driving court appearance
Oisin Murphy failed to feature in the places as he returned to the track a day after pleading guilty to his drink-driving case. The talented Kerry jockey was handed a £70,000 fine and a 20-month driving ban after pleading guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol. A little over 24 hours later, Murphy was stateside for the lucrative Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes. Riding 7/4 favourite New Century, Murphy finished sixth place in a seven-strong field. The top prize for the race was a whopping $472,500, with second getting $150k. A fourth-place finish still would have nabbed over $50,000. Murphy released a statement shortly after his guilty plea where he offered 'no excuse' for his actions. 'I would like to sincerely apologise for my actions. I know that drink driving is unacceptable and there is no excuse for what I did. 'I have let a lot of people down. I particularly want to apologise to my passenger and her family," he said in his statement. Trainer Andrew Balding has said he will offer Murphy 'all the help and support' he can following the incident. Balding, who has a long and successful association with Murphy, enjoyed a Friday treble at Sandown, from where he told Racing TV: 'He'd made them (details of the case) known in advance, but obviously we were hoping that what we were hearing was accurate and that was the case. 'Obviously it's not an ideal situation for him or for us or for anyone really, but I really hope that we can take this as a point to move forward and I know he'll be working closely with the BHA and we'll be giving him all the help and support we can to try to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. "Everyone makes mistakes, but I think as long as there's an intent to improve going forward, we're all behind him." The multiple champion jockey admitted driving a car while drunk and crashing into a tree earlier this year.
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Oisin Murphy gets away with a slap on the wrist as BHA refuse to take stronger action
'HAVE you been waiting long?' Oisin Murphy seemed pretty relaxed as he greeted a group of photographers who were waiting for him to arrive at Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday lunchtime. Advertisement 2 Oisin Murphy pleaded guilty to drink driving on Thursday Credit: PA His arrival had been signalled when his driver was spotted peering around a corner to check if the coast was clear. It wasn't. There was barely a spare seat in the public gallery as Oisin was called into Court 3, where one member of the press raised concerns to the clerk about being able to hear what was being said. 'There are microphones,' he replied. 'And there is nowhere else for you to go, unless you want to go in the dock?' While many in the racing fraternity would probably enjoy seeing journos up in front of the beak, the moment of levity lasted briefly as we were all here for a very serious reason. Advertisement Oisin only spoke to confirm details such as his name and date of birth, and to He was only breathalysed by cops SEVEN hours after the crash, and he was still nearly twice the legal limit at seven in the morning. It is unclear why he wasn't asked for a plea on the second charge — failing to provide a sample at the roadside — which was described as a 'misunderstanding' by the prosecutor Richard Atkins. The resulting sentence was a 20-month driving ban and a £70,000 fine. For a very wealthy young jockey who has his own driver, you could argue it's no more than a firm slap on the wrist. Advertisement Most read in Horse Racing I found it most surprising the BHA, bar adding some new conditions to Oisin's licence and expressing their 'disappointment', have decided to take no further action. For now, at least. As A glaring example came on last weekend's Luck On Sunday show, when Jayne McGivern, a stud owner who is overseeing a multi-million pound construction project in Saudia Arabia, gave her view. She said: 'He's a wonderful guy, an absolute superstar. Jockeys risk their lives every time they get on a horse. We can't possibly understand the pressures. Advertisement 'He has battled demons and sometimes the demons win. We need more understanding and empathy in this case for Oisin. 'It didn't happen on a racecourse or near a horse. It's his private life and it's nothing to do with us.' That, in a nutshell, is what's wrong with so many in this sport — especially racing's elite or establishment figures. They do not take it seriously, many excuse and indulge Oisin and, quite frankly, enable his destructive behaviour. Advertisement And Joe Public can't possibly criticise or comment because, well, jockeys are under pressure. Another excuse. I'm of the view that this 'nothing to see here' attitude sends a message to Oisin that he can keep pushing the limits while retaining all his privilege, which is a very dangerous place to be. So I'm not sure why the BHA felt it wasn't necessary to take firmer action — I think it's weak and I don't think it's helpful to Oisin. After all, they were the ones who put conditions on his licence in the first place when he returned from his ban in February 2023 and emphasised the strict requirement to 'remain sober'. Advertisement There are plenty of examples out there of tough BHA action but here is one I thought I'd share, for all it's not a perfect comparison. In 2020, they banned conditional jockey Callum McKinnes for 56 days for a riding offence which the judicial panel said brought racing 'into disrepute'. He was riding a 150-1 shot at Hereford that finished a distant fifth, but they reckon he 'should have finished fourth'. So not riding with enough vigour to finish fourth on a rank outsider is considered disreputable, but crashing a car while carrying a passenger and nearly twice the drink-drive limit isn't? Hmm. 2 The man who took photos of Oisin in court reacts angrily to photographers in Reading Advertisement The drama continued after Oisin had left to fly to the US. A member of the public had taken photos of him in court and was hauled into the dock Oisin had just been occupying, given a severe bollocking by the judge and threatened with arrest. What a circus — which is pretty apt considering the last few years of Oisin's turbulent career. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here. Advertisement
The Irish Sun
16 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Oisin Murphy breaks silence after £70,000 drink-drive ban and jets out of Britain for huge £330,000 ride
OISIN MURPHY is jetting out of Britain a day after his £70,000 drink-drive ban and grovelling apology for a late night car crash. The four-time champion jockey was given the Advertisement 1 Oisin Murphy has been fined £70,000 and banned from driving for 20 months but is free to continue riding - and he has a huge ride a day after his guilty plea Credit: PA Murphy drove his Mercedes into a tree in Hermitage, Berkshire, and left a female passenger with 'serious injuries' just after midnight on April 27. The BHA have confirmed the 29-year-old Irishman is free to continue riding. And he has the chance to get back almost half of his fine in one go thanks to a money-spinning ride in the US on Friday night. Murphy heads to New York for the leg up on Qatar Racing-owned New Century in the Belmont Derby at Saratoga, where victory in the 10.45pm BST contest is worth £330,000. Advertisement Should Murphy oblige on the well-backed 7-4 favourite he can expect roughly ten per cent of the winnings - around £30,000. He won't spend long in the US though. Murphy is right back into the thick of things at Sandown on Saturday for their brilliant Coral-Eclipse card. He'll fly overnight from the States and land in time for the ride on Royal Ascot winner Adrestia in the 1.50 at the Surrey track. Advertisement Most read in Horse Racing That's the first of seven rides on the day, the highlight being 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court in the Eclipse itself. Murphy released a statement on X on Thursday evening after his guilty plea. He said: "I would like to sincerely apologise for my actions. "I know that drink driving is unacceptable and there is no excuse for what I did. Advertisement "I have let a lot of people down. "I particularly want to apologise to my passenger and her family. "Due to the police investigation, I have so far been able to share only minimal details of my offence with the British Horseracing Authority. "I will now be fully co-operative with their enquiries. Advertisement "It would not be appropriate for me to comment further until that process is concluded." FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
