Avril Doyle accused of making 'a ridiculous accusation' in the High Court

Avril Doyle denied the suggestion put to her by Chris Gordon’s solicitors in the High Court on Wednesday that she made false claims about a previously unreferenced telephone conversation she shared with Denis Egan.

On Tuesday, Doyle claimed the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board – then the Turf Club – "concocted" a document which was presented to her daughter, the trainer Liz Doyle, at Fairyhouse on April 6, 2014, shortly after she spoke to Egan, the chief executive of the regulatory body.

SC Tom Hogan, representing the IHRB security chief Gordon, who is suing the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association for defamation, put it to Doyle that it was in fact her evidence which had been concocted.

He said: "I want to suggest to you that you didn’t have that phone call [with Egan]. I want to suggest to you that your evidence that, following that phone call, Mr Egan concocted the torn document your daughter was shown [at Fairyhouse] is simply not true. It is not truthful evidence, that’s what I want to suggest to you.”

Doyle responded: "Both the points you're putting to me, about the phone call to Mr Egan prior to Fairyhouse, and the document produced at Fairyhouse, are absolutely true as I have made it out here as a witness.”

She added: “I’m very conscious of what perjury is and the implications of it. I am telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on it. Why else would I bother? What is in it for my daughter or for myself to have made up a fanciful tale?”

SC Hogan suggested to Doyle that she had taken advantage of an honest mistake made by Gordon and his superiors within the IHRB over the handling of a random stable inspection of her daughter’s premises back in March 2014, and concocted her own version of events.

SC Hogan said: "Do you know what Mrs Doyle, I actually don't understand why you've done this. I have to suggest to you it’s not the truth, it’s concocted. What you did was, you turned an honest mistake, a serious mistake, into a ridiculous accusation."

Doyle responded: "With respect, you are completely wrong but I understand where you are coming from in representing the plaintiff here. But you are wrong and you are misinformed."

The court also learned that Denis Egan would be flying home from Cheltenham in order to give evidence on Thursday against the claims made by Avril Doyle. IRTA chief executive Michael Grassick also gave evidence on Wednesday afternoon.

The case, which is being heard by Mr Justice Bernard Barton, continues in the High Court at 11am on Thursday.

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