CHAMPION jockey Oisin Murphy has been banned and fined after pleading guilty to drink driving.
The troubled rider, 29, has been suspended from driving for 20 months and given a £70,000 fine by a district judge.
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Murphy was arrested by cops after crashing a car into a tree in the early hours of April 27 near Hermitage in Berkshire.
He was breath-tested seven hours after the crash and found to have 66 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, nearly twice the legal limit.
The charge of failing to provide a sample to police at the roadside was dropped after what was described as a ‘misunderstanding’ by agent for the Crown Prosecution Service Richard Atkins.
Murphy expressed remorse and apologised to the female passenger who was travelling in his car, to the public and to his colleagues in the weighing room.
Wearing a navy suit, Murphy only spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address and to enter his plea of guilty.
Atkins said police were called to an incident on Marleston Road and arrived just after midnight to find Murphy on the phone to his cousin. Police said Murphy ‘appeared to be intoxicated’.
The female passenger, who was not named in court, was lying on the ground when police arrived. Both Murphy and his passenger were taken to hospital, and he was released shortly afterwards.
Police carried out a breath test on Murphy at around 7am and he blew nearly twice the legal limit, more than seven hours after the crash which resulted in the airbags in the Mercedes A-Class being deployed.
When interviewed by police, Murphy said he was ‘tired’ and ‘didn’t have much memory of the event’, Atkins told the court.
Murphy’s legal representative Alex Di Francesco said: “Mr Murphy accepts this was a grave error on his part and is deeply remorseful.
“He would like to make three apologies, firstly to his passenger and he is grateful there were no lasting consequences.
“He would also like to apologise to the public and other road users, as well as his colleagues in the racing world.”
It was disclosed that Murphy earned roughly £250,000 net per year in prize-money and drew a regular salary of £1,250 a week on top.
District Judge Sam Goozee said Murphy received credit for entering a guilty plea and expressing remorse, but that he was ‘lucky’ that he did not hurt a member of the public or his passenger.
He said: “You are lucky that neither you, your passenger, or the public were injured by your actions.
“I do balance that with the remorse you have shown.
“You have also recognised that you have let the public down by virtue of your actions, and your colleagues in the racing world.”
His driving ban could be reduced by 20 weeks if he were to take part in a drink drive rehabilitation scheme by August 2026, while he was also ordered to pay a £2,000 surcharge and £85 in court fees.
The BHA expressed ‘disappointment’ but said the four-time champion jockey would be able to continue riding with additional conditions on his licence.
The BHA’s statement read: “Everyone at the BHA, like all involved in our sport, is disappointed today having learned the details of the offence to which Oisin Murphy has pleaded guilty.
“This is a very serious offence that, in the course of being committed, saw Mr Murphy jeopardise not only his own safety but that of his passenger and all other people travelling on the roads at the same time as him that night.
“His conduct fell a long way short of the standard we expect of all licensed individuals, in whom we place trust that they will represent our sport to the best of their abilities, upholding our collective reputation and ensuring racing is a safe place for all.
“In light of Mr Murphy’s guilty plea and the information revealed in court today, we will be working on the addition of new conditions on his licence that may be referred to the Licensing Committee for their consideration. As has been the case in recent weeks, Mr Murphy remains free to take up his riding engagements.
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“We will issue an update on this process in due course and will be making no further comment at this time.”
