Breaking news but no further details yet - Fallon walks free today
The case has collapsed. Not surprising, after reading the prosecution case.....
Breaking news but no further details yet - Fallon walks free today
The case has collapsed. Not surprising, after reading the prosecution case.....
Where did you hear this?
It's on the opening newsflas page of the RP - they are awaiting details
It's nto even clear yet if they are all free or just Fallon, but it looks like the whole case has collapsed
PS Shame he won't be fit enough to ride Dylan in HK!
Not showing on mine at present
It's on the newsfalsh page - the one which comes up before the home page, it';s breaking news
Most people arte permanently logged in so this page doesn't come up... I'd turned off my laptop last night so was fortuitously logged out
Flaming waste of tax payers money :suspect:
It's a bit weird, refreshing the RP's splash page goes back to the "In Today's Newspaper" Thornton piece.
Maybe its just his case and not the trial, lets be honest they only had his horses, and Fergal linked to Davies.
Fallon sounds like the innocent party who never knew it was happening
On the main news page now too:
Fallon walks free as trial collapses
THE race-fixing trial over the conspiracy to defraud Betfair customers, which began on September 24, has today come to an end. Mr Justice Forbes told the jury that there was no case to answer following the end of the prosecution case last Friday. Kieren Fallon, Darren Williams, Fergal and Shaun Lynch, Miles Rodgers and Philip Sherkle all walk free. More news to follow. . .
Still no real details, but from the Sporting Life:
FALLON CASE THROWN OUT
Six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon's race-fixing trial collapsed at the Old Bailey today.
Fallon and five other men were acquitted by a jury on the directions of trial judge Mr Justice Forbes, who said there was no case to answer following defence submissions at the end of two months of prosecution evidence.
Justice. Now for fallon to sue BHA
Some people say he’s the best since Arkle and that’s certainly true when you look at what he’s done
an capall Posted: Oct 18 2007, 03:11 PM
Having read all the evidence to date am I the only one thinks that if Fallons QC moved to have the charges dismissed due to lack of evidence he would be about 8/11?
"And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.
And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."
FALLON CASE THROWN OUT
By Martin Kelly, PA Sport
Six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon's race-fixing trial collapsed at the Old Bailey today.
Fallon and five other men were acquitted by a jury on the directions of trial judge Mr Justice Forbes, who said there was no case to answer following defence submissions at the end of two months of prosecution evidence.
Fallon always denied involvement and his barrister asked the judge: "You have to consider how much it would cost to buy Kieren Fallon."
Fallon, fellow jockeys Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams, gambler and businessman Miles Rodgers and two other men had been accused of plotting to throw races.
But the "fatal flaw" in the £6million case was that no one was able to prove the jockeys had interfered with horses.
The only expert witness called was Australian racing steward Ray Murrihy, who admitted he was not an expert on British horseracing.
The case against the men was that they were trying to break Jockey Club rule 157 by stopping horses racing on their merits.
But Mr Murrihy said he was not familiar with the rules in the UK, was only giving his opinion on the riding and could not say what the outcome of a stewards' inquiry would have been.
The jury also heard that Fallon had a higher win-rate in the races he was allegedly meant to throw than his average.
City of London police, who had been asked to investigate by the Jockey Club, came under constant criticism throughout the case.
It emerged that the then Commissioner of the force had approached a director of the Jockey Club - now the British Horseracing Authority - about more funding for the inquiry, which is thought to have cost around £3million.
And it also emerged that the main detective in the case had been offered a job with the BHA's investigation unit.
The prosecution said there was no evidence that Fallon profited from the alleged scam.
He was said to have ended up owing a betting syndicate money.
The accused were said to have plotted to stop 27 horses winning between December 2002 and August 2004, thereby defrauding Betfair internet customers and other punters.
The prosecution said large amounts of money had been bet on the horses losing after a series of phone calls and text messages involving the jockeys.
Fallon was said to have ridden in 17 of the allegedly fixed races and won five of them - a higher win rate than his normal average.
The betting syndicate run by Rodgers was said to have wagered £2.1million on horses to lose, making between £60,000 and £143,000.
But Fallon was alleged to have owed the syndicate's backers £338,000 by winning the five races.
Fallon, 42, formerly of Newmarket but now of Tipperary, Ireland, Lynch, 29, of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, and Williams, 29, of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, Lynch's driver brother Shaun Lynch, 38, of Belfast, gambler and businessman Rodgers, 38, of Silkstone, South Yorkshire, and barman Philip Sherkle, 42, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, were all cleared on the directions of the judge.
Rodgers was also found not guilty of concealing the proceeds of crime.
All the defendants were on bail.
Fallon's QC, John Kelsey-Fry, had asked the judge to throw out the case against him because the prosecution had failed to "come close" to making a case against the jockey.
He said the races which Fallon lost yielded only small returns for alleged plotters - in one case just £3,000.
He said: "There is simply no case to answer. None of the strands of evidence individually or collectively amount to a case to answer.
"The evidence presented by the prosecution when properly analysed has demonstrated that Kieren Fallon was not a party to a conspiracy to defraud."
So what did we learn that Fallon isn't a very good jobber and that Rodgers is a shocking gambler?
Hurricane Fly - whatever he runs in he wins
Twitter: @Quevega
That the Jockey Club/BHA, CPS and City Of London police have been shown to be dangerously incompetent?So what did we learn
Who would win an incompetence award between the the Jockey Club, BHA, FIA or FA? What a year.
Winners have no shame, no matter how they win - Niccolò Machiavelli
Includes Judges summary....right to ride immediately restored.
RACING NEWS
Picture Fallon - case thrown out.
FALLON CASE THROWN OUT
By Martin Kelly, PA Sport
Six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon's race-fixing trial collapsed at the Old Bailey today.
Fallon and five other men were acquitted by a jury on the directions of trial judge Mr Justice Forbes, who said there was no case to answer following defence submissions at the end of two months of prosecution evidence.
Fallon always denied involvement and his barrister asked the judge: "You have to consider how much it would cost to buy Kieren Fallon."
Fallon, fellow jockeys Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams, gambler and businessman Miles Rodgers and two other men had been accused of plotting to throw races.
But the "fatal flaw" in the £6million case was that no one was able to prove the jockeys had interfered with horses.
The only expert witness called was Australian racing steward Ray Murrihy, who admitted he was not an expert on British horseracing.
The case against the men was that they were trying to break Jockey Club rule 157 by stopping horses racing on their merits.
But Mr Murrihy said he was not familiar with the rules in the UK, was only giving his opinion on the riding and could not say what the outcome of a stewards' inquiry would have been.
The jury also heard that Fallon had a higher win-rate in the races he was allegedly meant to throw than his average.
City of London police, who had been asked to investigate by the Jockey Club, came under constant criticism throughout the case.
It emerged that the then Commissioner of the force had approached a director of the Jockey Club - now the British Horseracing Authority - about more funding for the inquiry, which is thought to have cost around £3million.
And it also emerged that the main detective in the case had been offered a job with the BHA's investigation unit.
The prosecution said there was no evidence that Fallon profited from the alleged scam.
He was said to have ended up owing a betting syndicate money.
The accused were said to have plotted to stop 27 horses winning between December 2002 and August 2004, thereby defrauding Betfair internet customers and other punters.
The prosecution said large amounts of money had been bet on the horses losing after a series of phone calls and text messages involving the jockeys.
Fallon was said to have ridden in 17 of the allegedly fixed races and won five of them - a higher win rate than his normal average.
The betting syndicate run by Rodgers was said to have wagered £2.1million on horses to lose, making between £60,000 and £143,000.
But Fallon was alleged to have owed the syndicate's backers £338,000 by winning the five races.
Fallon, 42, formerly of Newmarket but now of Tipperary, Ireland, Lynch, 29, of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, and Williams, 29, of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, Lynch's driver brother Shaun Lynch, 38, of Belfast, gambler and businessman Rodgers, 38, of Silkstone, South Yorkshire, and barman Philip Sherkle, 42, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, were all cleared on the directions of the judge.
Rodgers was also found not guilty of concealing the proceeds of crime.
All the defendants were on bail.
Fallon's QC, John Kelsey-Fry, had asked the judge to throw out the case against him because the prosecution had failed to "come close" to making a case against the jockey.
He said the races which Fallon lost yielded only small returns for alleged plotters - in one case just £3,000.
He said: "There is simply no case to answer. None of the strands of evidence individually or collectively amount to a case to answer.
"The evidence presented by the prosecution when properly analysed has demonstrated that Kieren Fallon was not a party to a conspiracy to defraud."
During the trial, Fallon's defence said that he may have fallen victim to his own popularity with "half the world" asking him for tips.
He was inundated daily with requests from punters, including England and Newcastle footballer Michael Owen, for his opinion on horses.
Fallon had told police: "Michael Owen, every day texts me. Most guys, like I say Michael Owen, would only ring to talk about races."
The court was told that the only race in which Fallon had been subjected to a stewards' inquiry was his ride on Ballinger Ridge at Lingfield in March 2004.
Fallon was found to have committed an error of judgment in easing down on the horse while he had a "huge lead". He ended up losing by a short head to Rye.
Mr Kelsey-Fry described the incident as a "horrendous blunder" but pointed to trainers who attended court to praise Fallon's talent as a jockey.
Legendary trainer Sir Michael Stoute said Fallon had a "brilliant" winning ride on the Queen's horse Daring Aim at Newmarket in July 2004 - one of the races allegedly in the plot.
Alan Jarvis described Fallon as "the best jockey in the world" despite an allegation that his horse Right Answer was hindered by Fallon when the pair finished second at York in the same year.
Fallon has had a glittering career as a jockey but has often been subject to controversy.
Described as having a "compulsion to win", he has captured the top prizes in the sport.
He became a huge favourite with punters who would look for the 'Fallon Factor' when betting.
Fallon has been racing successfully out of his native Ireland while his licence to race in Britain was suspended.
The day before his Old Bailey trial started, he won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France aboard Dylan Thomas.
Mr Justice Forbes said today Mr Murrihy's short-comings and limitations in being able to give evidence had not surfaced until he was cross-examined by defence barristers.
He said that Mr Murrihy in his witness statement had been critical of the riding in 13 of the races and there was a prima facie case against the jockeys.
But the judge added: "Remarkably, it was only in cross-examination that the very significant limitations and shortcomings in the evidence he was able to give became clear."
In court, Mr Murrihy had said "it was not incumbent that I verse myself in UK or other jurisdiction rules".
Mr Murrihy also said in evidence: "I have not said I was an expert in respect of UK races."
The judge said in his ruling today: "This is an extraordinary admission given that he was purporting to give evidence about 27 races run in the UK according to UK racing rules.
"In my opinion, that was tantamount to Mr Murrihy disqualifying himself in giving evidence in relation to the suspect races.
"In my opinion it is now clear that Mr Murrihy's evidence was subject to a number of significant limitations and shortcomings which were not evident from his witness statements and his evidence in chief."
The judge added: "It is abundantly clear that his evidence fell far, far short of establishing a prima facie breach of UK racing rules.
"I have reached the conclusion that even if it was appropriate to admit Mr Murrihy's expert opinion, its probative value is so limited that very little value can be attached to it."
The judge said there was insufficient evidence on which a jury could conclude that the jockeys, and therefore all the defendants, were guilty.
The British Horseracing Authority said after the case: "The restrictions placed on the three jockeys involved in the proceedings expired at the conclusion of the proceedings.
"Kieren Fallon, who is licensed by the Irish Turf Club, is therefore able to ride in Great Britain, and Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams are able to re-apply for their jockey licences."
The BHA's spokesman Paul Struthers said: "It is not appropriate for the authority to comment on the proceedings or the police investigation that led to the trial.
"Irrespective of the outcome this has been a sad episode of horseracing.
"The allegation in court that racing and punters were the victims of a conspiracy has been a cloud over the whole sport."
The BHA will now review all the available evidence presented in the criminal trial to determine if there have been breaches of the Rules of Racing that would require it to take disciplinary action.
"This will be done as a priority and, we trust, with the full co-operation of those involved in the police investigation."
Fallon said in a statement: "I am of course relieved and delighted, but also outraged.
"There was never any evidence against me."
His defence solicitors immediately called for two inquiries into the case, which they estimated cost £10million.
They said one investigation should be into police testimony during the trial, and the second into why the Crown Prosecution Service proceeded with the case.
A statement said: "Kieren Fallon's right to ride in Britain has been restored with immediate effect."
COOLMORE DELIGHTED FALLON FREE TO RIDE
Coolmore, Kieren Fallon's employers, have spoken of their delight at the collapse of his race-fixing trial at the Old Bailey.
In a statement they said: "We are delighted that the judge has agreed that a decision of 'no case to answer' has been returned in relation to Kieren Fallon.
"However we find it extremely sad that he was denied the right to display his skills and earn a living on the racecourses of Britain while this case was pending.
"A jockey's riding career is a short one and Kieren was cruelly disadvantaged at the peak of his career.
"Kieren has been nothing less than superb in his riding of our horses - his record is there for all to see.
"This has been a terrible time for Kieren and we are delighted that it is finally behind him."
The judge is right. The prosecution case was pathetic.
His defence solicitors immediately called for two inquiries into the case, which they estimated cost £10million.
They said one investigation should be into police testimony during the trial, and the second into why the Crown Prosecution Service proceeded with the case.
Mr Kelsey-Fry could have called for a third enquiry, into what evidence persuaded the BHA to ban Fallon before the trial.
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