2 months ago
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Champion jockey Oisin Murphy has described his car crash and subsequent drink-driving conviction as 'a nightmare for everyone involved'.
The 29-year-old promised not to forgot the mistake which led him to crashing a car into a tree while just shy of twice above the limit earlier this year.
Murphy was fined £70,000 and banned from driving for 20 months after pleaded guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol earlier this month.
He told Sky Sports Racing on Monday: 'It’s very important not to make that error again, it was a nightmare particularly for everyone involved, not just myself, for everyone else and the people who had to pick up the pieces, my support network. Time is a great healer but I won’t be forgetting about that mistake.
'They [the BHA] never disclose licence information, I’m not the first jockey to drink and drive or commit offences, it’s obviously more high profile because it’s me.
'Due to the profile I have, those incidents should never occur but the BHA have been fantastic to work with and I really appreciate what they have done to help me and I want to repay them.'
Champion jockey Oisin Murphy has described his car crash and subsequent drink-driving conviction as 'a nightmare for everyone involved'
The 29-year-old was fined £70,000 and banned from driving for 20 months at Reading Magistrates' Court earlier this month
He was charged by postal requisition on June 19 after he drove his grey Mercedes A Class off the road and into a tree in Hermitage, Berkshire, at about 12.05am on April 27. He had a passenger with him at the time, who was the owner of the car, the court heard. They were both taken to hospital after the crash.
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.
During his sentencing, Judge Sam Goozee told Murphy he was 'lucky that neither you, your passenger, or the public were injured'.
'I do balance that with the remorse you have shown for your actions,' added Judge Goozee. 'You have also recognised that you have let the public down by virtue of your actions, and your colleagues in the racing world.'
Murphy confirmed that the passenger involved in the crash 'is really well' and spoke about the counselling he received before and after the incident.
He added: 'I have been [in counselling] for the last four years and obviously had very good spells due to that support network and I relied on it an awful lot since late April and before it but certainly since late April and I have got to thank those people because they have gone above and beyond when the process hasn’t been very easy.'
