On 11 February 2020, the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) considered a charge issued by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards against licensed stablehand Dean Braun under Australian Harness Racing Rule (AHRR) 231(1)(d).
AHRR 231(1)(d) reads as follows:
A person shall not: - abuse anyone employed, engaged or participating in the harness racing industry or otherwise having a connection with it.
The charge related to abusive language directed by Mr Braun towards Mr Adam Hamilton, a person engaged in the harness racing industry, at the conclusion of the ‘Pryde’s Easifeed Victoria Cup (Group 1) at Tabcorp Park Melton on 12 October 2019.
Mr Braun pleaded guilty to the charge before submissions on penalty were heard by the VRT.
Penalty
The VRT determined that Mr Braun was to be fined $500, with $250 suspended for a period of 12 months.
VRT Panel: Judge John Bowman (Chairman), Magistrate John Doherty and Mr Robert Abrahams.
The written decisions of the VRT can be found here.
(Please note that VRT Decisions will generally be published within 7-10 days of the date of hearing)