5-year ban for dope jockey

[boulder]

NT jockey Phillip Johnson has been banned for five years after he tested positive to drugs and threatened a steward with a telephone.

 

Johnson claimed he smoked dope because he was in pain following a haemorrhoid operation.

 

On Tuesday he was handed a five-year disqualification for misconduct and a two-year suspension for testing positive to cannabis.

 

It was his fourth positive cannabis test.

 

On the last occasion in 2001, the winner of the 1992 Alice Springs Cup on True Tales claimed unwittingly eating carrot cake laced with marijuana had been the reason for his elevated cannabis level.

 

The latest swab on Johnson was taken on September 6 and he was advised by Alice Springs Turf Club chief steward Ross Lennox to be at the track on September 26 where he was to be advised of an irregularity in the swab.

 

On that day Johnson was said to have smashed a tape recorder which he took from the steward's room and that he also raised a telephone over the head of Lennox in a threatening manner and caused damage to ASTC property.

 

Johnson was charged with improper conduct under Australian Rule of Racing 175 (a) and the charge also included the wording that his conduct and behaviour was ``of a violent and threatening nature and not the conduct of a licensed person''.

 

Johnson pleaded guilty to the charge and the stewards panel, comprising Northern Territory stewards chairman Lindsay Lane and Alice Springs stewards John Bennett and Michael Hurley, then disqualified him for five years.

 

The same stewards panel then heard the analyst's report on the urine sample taken from Johnson on September 6. The report showed that the sample contained metabolites of cannabis.

 

Johnson was charged under AR 81A (1) ``in that he delivered a sample on the above date which upon analysis was shown to contain the presence of a substance banned by AR 81B''.

 

Johnson also pleaded guilty to that charge and stewards suspended his licence for two years taking into consideration that he had been penalised on three previous occasions for similar offences.

 

The sentences will be served concurrently so Johnson is disqualified for five years and cannot enter a racecourse or stables in that period.

 

Johnson, in his late 30s, has ridden more than 400 winners in his career which began in Western Australia in 1980.

 

Johnson's partner rang the Northern Territory News a fortnight ago to say the jockey was retiring from race-riding because he believed he had been caught for ``smoking one or two marijuana cigarettes''.

 

``He is very upset because he has been outed before and he only smoked these because he has had a recent operation and was in a lot of pain,'' she said.

[chillijoc]

Hi my name is Philip,and i just want every one to knowthat iam the dope jockey that got banned for 5 years.I am now been waiting for 3 weeks for the tribunal to decide my out come of being able to ride again.I have had so much support from the people here in AliceSprings,I am not a violent person,the papers blew it right out of porportion.Ive just joined up with this site so,I would like to talk to anyone.

[wade ounce]

Hi Chillijoc,

 

 

Wecome to Oz stoners

Edited December 13, 2003 by wade ounce

[Guest billy bonger]

G'day Chillijoc,

 

You'll meet some cool people round here, the place to introduce yourself would be "Dr Livingstone i presume"(Found on the main page).Look forward to reading your posts.

 

 

Welcome to Oz stoners

[99waystofuckyou]

Hi Chilli nice to hear your side of the story too. Have you been lurking here and just popped up cause you were mentioned or did you look for us?

 

Typical of the media to put a bit of spin on things, whether or not you smoke recreationally it's none of their fuckin business! It obviously isn't affecting you seeing as you won that cup and all.

[Guest Wilderbud]

High!

 

Good choice in medication - dont let the silly rabits condemn you - weed is good.

[Luke Skywalker]

Hi Chilljoc, welcome to Oz Stoners...

 

FIGHT THE POWER!

[coughmaster]

i got the shits and broke something once cause i didnt have any pot then i put a 5 year ban on myself from running out again.and its working nothing broken since ban imposed.

[Chev]

High Chillijoc, welcome to OzStoners!

Fight it tooth and nail mate, give em' hell It's totally wrong. Put it this way mate, I'm from the Miller clan. I know how tuff they are on it, it's absolute bullshit. Totally.

[chillijoc]

Hi everyone, I'm the jockey that got 5 years for smoking pot,but I appealled and got 2 years suspension.The good news is that I've been race riding since December10 last year and going well.I would like to thank ALL the people for your support.

Thanls again P.A.Johnson.

:thumbsup