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Killian Moore cleared of drink-driving as court accepts he drank rum after crash

Killian Moore: found not guilty of drink-driving
Killian Moore: found not guilty of drink-drivingCredit: Mark Cranham

Jump jockey Killian Moore has been found not guilty of driving with excess alcohol following a trial at Cheltenham magistrates court on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old jockey closed his eyes with relief after he was cleared of drink-driving on the B4078 at Dumbleton, Gloucestershire.

Moore, formerly with Jonjo O’Neill but now based in County Meath, Ireland, crashed his Audi A4 on February 2 last year and walked two miles to a friend’s house where he was given rum to cope with the shock of the accident, the court heard.

When police arrived at the address Moore was breathalysed and arrested after being found to have 59 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeding the legal limit of 35 microgrammes of alcohol.

In a written statement Jacqueline Ross said that the jockey rented a cottage near to her home and called at 9.45pm that evening in a state of shock. "He was crying," the statement read, and "he did not appear to be drunk".

Ross and her husband Malcolm went to the scene of the accident, leaving their grown-up son Ian with Moore. On returning to the house, Ross found her son and the jockey drinking Captain Morgan’s spiced rum.

In the police interview Moore said that he had had one pint of lager in a pub earlier before buying a bottle of Peroni lager from a nearby shop. The bottle was later found by police in the crashed car.

Moore also told police that he had been drinking rum and coke with Ian Ross after the accident.

Defending solicitor Dermot Clarke told the court that the case rested on an expert’s report which had been accepted in full by the prosecution.

"The conclusion of this detailed, 45-page report by an eminent doctor is that the amount of alcohol consumed before the accident was insufficient to constitute an offence," said Clarke.

"The prosecution case must be that the defendant was over the limit when he crashed. And, in interview, my client has given a full account of drinking after the accident."

Moore's best seasons as a rider were in 2012-13 and 2014-15 when he partnered 15 winners. His best prize-money haul was the £97,107 accrued in the 2015-16 campaign, the highlight of which were two wins at Cheltenham on Solstice Star.


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Published on 8 January 2019inNews

Last updated 12:10, 9 January 2019

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