Greyhound racing: Chadstone’s Sam Pye banned for six years

A Melbourne greyhound trainer has been banned for six years after he viciously abused officials as they tried to take his dogs.

A Melbourne greyhound trainer has been banned from competing for more than six years over a violent outburst towards officials.

The Victorian Racing Tribunal last month banned Chadstone‘s Shane Pye for six years and three months after he was found guilty on eight charges including abusing stewards.

Documents from the tribunal hearing reveal Pye confronted three stewards on November 10, 2020 when they attended his Chadstone kennels to seize three registered greyhounds.

He told the stewards “shut up you f*** wit, you don’t want to get put on your arse, f*** off”, and “you can shove it up your f****** arse”.

The three dogs were set to be seized after Pye had failed to provide appropriate sized kennels, a clean and adequate area to exercise, clean and suitable bedding (faeces was found on the bed) and failed to remove a large build up of furniture and rubbish next to the kennels which was a risk to the animals’ safety.

It was the second instance Pye had abused officials after doing so in an incident in July 2020.

When stewards attended Pye’s kennels on July 9, the trainer refused them entry.

“I’m refusing you here on my property, I’m sick, go the f*** down the driveway,” he said when asked if he wasn’t allowing the officials to enter.

He then threw an unknown object causing them to leave.

In handing down their sentence, tribunal officials said Pye had been a registered trainer continuously since 2015 and had a “good record with no relevant prior offences”.

“The charges proven against Mr Pye show that he is a person who is presently unfit to participate in the industry,” the sentencing report said.

“His behaviour, the subject of the charges, was nothing short of disgraceful.

“Even allowing for the totality principle, he is deserving of a long period of disqualification.”

In April 2020, Pye provided a false statement to stewards telling them he was returning from Wagga Wagga when they tried to organise an inspection of the kennels in a phone call about 2.15pm.

He said he would be coming back to Melbourne the next day but when stewards arrived at his property about an hour later stewards found him standing in the driveway.

Pye’s suspension has been backdated to October 27, 2020.