Latest news with #Fairley
Scottish Sun
29-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
‘I chose the wrong path' – Former jockey banned for 12 years in ‘largest race-fixing ring ever' set for shock return
The case rocked British racing like never before ONLY FAIR 'I chose the wrong path' – Former jockey banned for 12 years in 'largest race-fixing ring ever' set for shock return Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER champion jockey banned for 12 years for his role in the 'largest race-fixing ring ever' is set to make a shock return to the saddle. Greg Fairley was set for superstardom when crowned champion apprentice in 2007, beating William Buick to the title. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Former champion apprentice jockey Greg Fairley was banned for 12 years for his role in British racing's biggest ever fixing scandal - but is now all set to return to the track Credit: PA:Press Association Fairley, who is from Scotland, would go onto Group 1 glory and massive prize money earnings of £2.8million on the track over a few short years, banging in 381 winners in Britain alone. But his career looked done and dusted in 2011 when he was hit with a colossal ban for two of the most serious rules breaches. He was found guilty of riding a horse to lose - 'failing to obtain the best possible placing' - and passing on inside information for reward. A total of 11 people were sanctioned by the BHA for what at the time was called the 'largest race-fixing ring ever exposed in British racing history'. Fairley and fellow jockey Paul Doe were warned off for a dozen years, while two owners were banned for 14 for betting on their horses to lose, 'corrupting' jockeys in the process. Fairley announced he had quit racing before the BHA's findings were published and, in his own words, 'ran away' back home to run a tree surgery business. His ban ran out in December 2013 and he unsuccessfully reapplied for his riding licence last year. But he was given the thumbs up at another hearing last month - although the BHA will attach a number of conditions to his licence. All in all, the granting of the licence paves the way for Fairley, 37, to return to racing in the very near future. In a statement, he addressed his past ban and said he is firmly focused on returning to the winner's enclosure again. Fairley wrote: "Fifteen years ago I chose a path that was wrong and paid a justifiably significant price for my poor decisions. "I'm incredibly grateful to the licencing committee of the BHA for giving me a second chance. "I would also like to thank Sandy Thomson, Iain Jardine and Charlie and Mark Johnston who have all been very supportive. "There are still some elements of the licencing procedure that I need to complete before my licence is issued but I'm very excited to be on the verge of race-riding again." 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: 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.
The Irish Sun
29-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘I chose the wrong path' – Former jockey banned for 12 years in ‘largest race-fixing ring ever' set for shock return
A FORMER champion jockey banned for 12 years for his role in the 'largest race-fixing ring ever' is set to make a shock return to the saddle. Greg Fairley was set for superstardom when crowned champion apprentice in 2007, beating William Buick to the title. 1 Former champion apprentice jockey Greg Fairley was banned for 12 years for his role in British racing's biggest ever fixing scandal - but is now all set to return to the track Credit: PA:Press Association Fairley, who is from Scotland, would go onto Group 1 glory and massive prize money earnings of £2.8million on the track over a few short years, banging in 381 winners in Britain alone. But his career looked done and dusted in 2011 when he was hit with a colossal ban for two of the most serious rules breaches. He was found guilty of riding a horse to lose - 'failing to obtain the best possible placing' - and passing on inside information for reward. A total of 11 people were sanctioned by the BHA for what at the time was called the 'largest race-fixing ring ever exposed in British racing history'. Fairley and fellow jockey Paul Doe were warned off for a dozen years, while two owners were banned for 14 for betting on their horses to lose, 'corrupting' jockeys in the process. Fairley announced he had quit racing before the BHA's findings were published and, in his own words, 'ran away' back home to run a tree surgery business. His ban ran out in December 2013 and he unsuccessfully reapplied for his riding licence last year. But he was given the thumbs up at another hearing last month - although the BHA will attach a number of conditions to his licence. Most read in Horse Racing All in all, the granting of the licence paves the way for Fairley, 37, to return to racing in the very near future. In a statement, he addressed his past ban and said he is firmly focused on returning to the winner's enclosure again. Fairley wrote: "Fifteen years ago I chose a path that was wrong and paid a justifiably significant price for my poor decisions. "I'm incredibly grateful to the licencing committee of the BHA for giving me a second chance. "I would also like to thank Sandy Thomson, Iain Jardine and Charlie and Mark Johnston who have all been very supportive. "There are still some elements of the licencing procedure that I need to complete before my licence is issued but I'm very excited to be on the verge of race-riding again." 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: 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.
Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Jockey banned for 12 years to make dramatic return to horse racing
Greg Fairley was a rising star of horse racing and champion apprentice on the Flat in 2007 but was cast out of the sport in disgrace in 2011 Greg Fairley, the 2007 champion apprentice warned off for 12 years for stopping a horse and passing on information, is to make a controversial return to the saddle. Fairley was once one of the rising stars of Flat racing, riding 381 winners in Britain and enjoying success at the top level when Lady Jane Digby, trained by his former boss Mark Johnston, landed a Group 1 contest in Germany in 2010. But the Scot was cast out of the sport in disgrace in December 2011 after a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel found him guilty of not riding The Staffy on his merits at Wolverhampton in March 2009. The panel, which in addition banned jockey Paul Doe for 12 years - Kirsty Milczarek was suspended for two years and Jimmy Quinn for six months - also found Fairley guilty of passing on privileged information for reward. Fairley, now 37, has worked as a tree surgeon during his period of exclusion but began riding work for trainer Sandy Thomson in 2021. And the path has been cleared for a race-riding comeback after Fairley's successful application for the return of his jockey's licence. 'We are satisfied that Mr Fairley is now a person who can be trusted,' concluded the licensing committee, which admitted finding the case 'very difficult to determine'. 'We tend to the view that, given his experience over the last 12-13 years, he is unlikely ever to engage in dishonest or corrupt behaviour again and unlikely to breach any integrity Rules,' it added. Charlie Johnston, who succeeded his father at the helm of the Kingsley Park Stables in Middleham in 2023, backed Fairley to rebuild his career. 'I was at university at the time it happened,' he said, 'but he was a big part of the team. 'The year he was champion apprentice, Joe [Fanning] had a bad fall at Glorious Goodwood and missed the rest of the season. 'Greg got thrust into taking a large proportion of the ride, including at Group level, even though he was still a claimer. 'He was a talented jockey. His misdemeanours were on horses not associated with us and I'm sure he regrets going down that path. 'But he's served a long and tough sentence and fair play to him for having the courage to try and come back. 'He phoned last night and said, 'This is going to be hitting the press, and I wanted you and Mark to know before it came out.' 'I'm sure there will be some owners who are still in the yard who had some success with him in years gone by. 'He's going to have to rebuild those relationships but I'm sure he will work hard at that.'
Press and Journal
20-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
St Fittick's Park campaigners lose latest legal bid to overturn council ruling
Campaigners who want to stop the potential development of a beloved city park have lost a legal bid at Scotland's highest civil court to overturn a council ruling about the site. The activists believe Aberdeen City Council shouldn't allow St Fittick's Park in Torry to be developed. They went to the Court of Session in July 2024, hoping that judge Lord Fairley would overturn a decision made by the local authority in September 2023 The campaigners believe that councillors were wrong to give the go head for formal talks with businesses over creating an Energy Transition Zone at the green space. The scheme is seen by its supporters as a means of helping to diversify the North-east economy. Opponents of the scheme maintain that the local authority failed to carry out a public sector equality assessment aimed at finding out the impact it would have on groups such as the young, elderly and disabled. Lord Fairley dismissed the legal bid, saying that the local authority wasn't obliged to conduct such an assessment at that point in time. He concluded that the council at that point in time was gathering information and this meant it didn't have any obligations to conduct this assessment. This prompted the campaigners to go to the Inner House of the Court of Session – Scotland's highest civil appeal court. Former SNP MP Joanna Cherry KC told judges Lord Malcolm, Lord Armstrong and Lord Clark that their colleague had misinterpreted the law. However, in a written judgement issued by the court on Tuesday, the judges rejected the arguments made to them by Ms Cherry. Lord Malcolm, who delivered the opinion, wrote: 'It is plain that not every decision by a public body requires an equality impact assessment; were it otherwise public administration would grind to a halt. 'The determining factor here is whether the proposition that the resolution was a policy decision which approved development of the Park is well-founded. 'In our view it is not. We have not identified any flaw in the Lord Ordinary's reasoning. The resolution of September 11 2023 concerning the Park occurred in the policy context of it having already been designated in the Aberdeen Local Development Plan as potentially suitable for development, including industrial use. 'That designation was not challenged. Any development of the park is contingent on the grant of planning permission and a Council resolution to lease the Park. Unlike the resolution of September 11 2023, both of those decisions carry the potential to create substantive legal rights. 'However, the resolution under challenge involves no more than the ingathering of information in the light of a policy decision already made and which may, or may not, lead to a process which does engage the public service equality duty. 'It cannot be said that, in the absence of a specific proposal, the view that an equality impact assessment was not required was unreasonable or erroneous in law. 'As submitted for the Council, it was entitled to await details as to any proposed development, including the economic and social effects; potential mitigations; any community benefits; and the potential for re-investment arising from a transaction.' In proceedings last year, solicitor advocate Mike Dailly, for the campaigners, argued that the council failed to carry out an impact assessment and the loss of the amenity could impact health and well-being. The judicial review was carried out in the name of a man called Simon McLean, who was described in Tuesday's judgement as being a resident of Torry and who used the park for 'recreational, health and general wellbeing purposes.' Aberdeen City Council opposed the legal move and maintained that the challenge was 'premature'. Lawyers for the council argued that the decision made by the council meant that it did not need to perform such an assessment. The lawyers argued that the process voted for on September 11 would allow the council to have the information it needed to perform the assessment at a later date. Niall McLean, for the council, said at this stage it was not known what use the site would be put, how it would impact the community or how funds might be available to benefit the community. He said these were all highly relevant factors to be taken into account that an impact assessment was to be carried out. Lord Fairley published a judgment upholding the arguments made to him by the council's legal team. In the latest judgement, published on Thursday, Lord Malcolm concluded that the action must fail. He added: 'For these reasons the reclaiming motion is refused. 'We adhere to the Lord Ordinary's refusal of the petition in his interlocutor of August 7 2024.'
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Serial rapist with chilling 'The Fox' nickname dead in prison as cause emerges
Malcolm Fairley was one of the UK's worst serial rapists, nicknamed 'The Fox', and died in prison last year - his cause of death has now been revealed following an inquest hearing One of the UK's worst serial rapists died of a heart attack while serving six life sentences after carrying out a string of horrific attacks across five counties, it has been revealed. Malcolm Fairley was nicknamed The Fox due to the way he used to make a den inside people's homes before coming out at night to attack them. He was jailed in 1985 and spent nearly 40 years behind bars until his death last May. He had carried out sex attacks in 1984 across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, sparking one of the largest manhunts in British criminal history with more than 200 officers tasked with hunting him down. The 71-year-old was found dead at HMP Hull on May 28, 2024 and an inquest at Hull Coroner's Court heard the provisional cause of his death was a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. The coroner has delayed a full hearing due to a prison investigation. Assistant coroner Sarah Middleton told the court she wanted to hear evidence of what happened during the night shift at the prison at the time of Fairley's death. The court heard Fairley had been "dead for quite sometime" before he was found. The date for a full inquest is yet to be fixed. At the height of Fairley's offending in the summer of 1984 he attacked three women in one week. He would wear masks and brandish a shotgun to commit violent rapes and indecent assaults. He used to break into people's home, cook himself meals and watch TV, walking around their homes collecting trinkets and trophies before hiding by building a den from furniture and blankets, He would also remove all light bulbs and wait in the dark, and was known for flicking through his victims' family photo albums by torchlight before they returned. Fairley also committed multiple break-ins and sexual crimes in South Yorkshire as well as his native North East. He was eventually arrested in September 1984 at his home in Kentish Town, north London. He was tracked down after forensic evidence at a crime scene was linked his car. At the time of his arrest, Fairley had committed 81 offences. Fairley's victims included both men and women, who were aged from teenagers to pensioners. He was later sentenced at St Albans Crown Court in 1985 to serve six life sentences behind bars. In a recent ITN documentary, retired Detective Chief Supt Brian Prickett, who led the investigation into his Fairley's raft of crimes back in the 80s, said: "Malcolm Fairley should never come out of prison after all the fear and harm he put into the community. "He never deserves to be released because I think he's still a real risk to the public."
