Oisin Murphy admits ‘no excuse' after pleading guilty to drink-driving offence

Irish Times

12 hours ago

Multiple champion jockey Oisin Murphy has said there was 'no excuse' for his actions, having been fined £70,000 (€81,266) and banned from driving for 20 months after admitting driving a car while drunk and crashing into a tree earlier this year.
The 29-year-old was sentenced at Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol.
In a statement, Murphy 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.
'I have let a lot of people down. I particularly want to apologise to my passenger and her family.
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'I have so far been able to share only minimal details of my offence with the British Horseracing Authority as a result of the police investigation. I will now be fully co-operative with their inquiries.
'It would not be appropriate for me to comment further until that process is concluded.'
The British Horseracing Authority has confirmed Murphy is free to continue riding, although the governing body expressed 'disappointment' in his conduct and plans to place new conditions on his licence.
A spokesperson said: '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.
'We will issue an update on this process in due course and will be making no further comment at this time.'
Murphy was charged by postal requisition on June 19th after he drove his grey Mercedes A Class off the road and into a tree in Hermitage, Berkshire, at about 12.05am on April 27th.
The court heard that he and his passenger, who was the owner of the car, were both taken to hospital after the crash and that Murphy was later discharged to take a breathalyser test at a police station at about 7am, which showed a reading of 66mg per 100 millilitres of breath.
This meant he was 'just shy of twice above the drink-driving limit' at the time of driving, prosecutor Richard Atkins told the court.
Sporting a dark blue suit, white shirt and tie, Murphy only spoke to confirm his name, date of birth, and address, before entering his guilty plea.
Judge Sam Goozee, sentencing, told Murphy: '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 for your actions. You have also recognised that you have let the public down by virtue of your actions, and your colleagues in the racing world.'
In addition to his £70,000 fine, Murphy must pay a £2,000 surcharge and £85 in costs. The figures were calculated based on his annual earnings, which the court heard are in the region of £250,000 a year, in addition to a weekly salary of £1,250.
Murphy will also have to complete a drink-driving awareness course by August 13th, 2026, and will be able to reapply for a driving licence by November next year.
The four-time champion jockey is due to be in action at Saratoga on Friday night, where he is booked to partner New Century in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes, before jetting back from America in time to team up with 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court in Saturday's Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.