£70k fine for jockey Oisin after drink driving crash

CHAMPION jockey Oisin Murphy has been fined £70,000 after he admitted driving a car while drunk and crashing into a tree earlier this year.

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Murphy, 29, of Beales Farm Road, Lambourn, Hungerford, was also banned from driving for a period of 20 months at Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol.

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.