PUNISHMENT OF JOCKEY

Taranaki Daily News, 30 November 1932, Page 9

PUNISHMENT OF JOCKEY

RESULT OF WATSON APPEAL

CORRUPTION FINDING UPHELD.

DISQUALIFICATION REDUCED.

LIFE TERM CUT TO SEVEN YEARS.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night.

The hearing of the appeal of the jockey Leonard H. Watson against the decision of the Auckland District Committee of the New Zealand Racing Conference in disqualifying him for life in connection with what is known as the Royal Survey case took place to-day. The judges were Mr. O. S. Watkins (president of the New Zealand Racing Conference), chairman, Sir Walter Stringer and W. Perry, barrister and solicitor, Wellington. The judgment announced was: “Having heard and carefully considered the evidence given and placed before them the judges see no reason for dissenting from the decision of the Auckland District Committee in finding that Watson was guilty of corrupt and fraudulent practice within the meaning of Rule 351 (1, n) of the Rules of Racing by conspiring with others to permit and assist the horse Royal Survey to win the Buckland Hack Handicap, run at the meeting held by the Franklin Racing Club on March 7, 1931, and therefore unanimously dismiss the appeal lodged by Watson. “The judges, however, are of opinion that the penalty of life disqualification imposed by the district committee upon Watson was under all the circumstances too severe, and therefore they unanimously reduce the term of disqualification to seven years from October 6, 1931.”

Some time ago Watson instituted proceedings against the Auckland District Committee of the New Zealand Racing Conference for £lOOO damages for disqualifying him for life in connection with the Royal Survey case. When the matter was to have come before the Supreme Court on November 15 last it was announced that it had been arranged to submit the whole of the matter to an appeal committee of the New Zealand Racing Conference, all technicalities being waived. The agreement arrived at between the parties provides:— (1) This action is to be abandoned. (2) Each party is to pay his own costs, the plaintiff being entitled to withdraw £75 deposited by him as security for costs.

(3) The defendants consent to waive the limit of time for appeal under Rule 379 of the Rules of Racing, and again to facilitate and raise no objection to the plaintiff appealing against the decision of the Auckland District Committee, provided the appeal is initiated within one month.

(4) The plaintiff waives all objections to fee district committee’s decision on all legal, technical or formal grounds, apart from the merits, so that the appeal judges shall have full power to adjudicate upon the appeal by way of rehearing, it being the intention of the parties that such judges shall do justice according to the merits of the case. (5) Each party releases and for ever abandons all claims and demands with respect to the matters in the statement of claim.