Amy Graham cites Jamie Melham ‘precedent’ to appeal four-month white-powder video ban
Queensland jockey Amy Graham will “rely heavily” on a case involving Jamie Melham to fight her four-month ban in relation to a white-powder video.
Queensland apprentice jockey Amy Graham, appealing a four-month ban after she was captured on video snorting a white powder, has “relied heavily” in her appeal on a “precedent” case involving champion Victorian hoop Jamie Melham.
In 2023, the Victorian Racing Tribunal determined Melham could not be charged for bringing racing into disrepute as the jockey did not know she was being filmed when footage of her cutting lines of white powder in her home was widely circulated.
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On Wednesday at the Queensland Racing Appeals Panel (RAP), Jim Murdoch KC, acting for Graham, said he had made written submissions in his client’s appeal which outlined the Jamie Melham “precedent”.
“We have relied significantly on the case of Jamie Kah, now known as Jamie Melham, the facts are so close are to make it a worthwhile precedent that you might follow,” Murdoch told RAP chairman Kerry O’Brien.
Graham’s matter came to the attention of Queensland stewards after a short video showing Graham snorting a white powder substance from a saucer leaked into the public domain.
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Graham (four-month suspension) and other Queensland jockeys Casey Waddell (four months) and Sophie Wilcock (three months) have been outed by stewards over incident in a private residence during a personal gathering on November 16 last year.
Stewards alleged the video was recorded on Waddell’s phone and it was shared with another licensed person and had since been reported in the media.
Graham was banned after being found guilty of charges under AR 228(a) (conduct prejudicial to the image, interests, integrity or welfare of racing) and AR 232(i) (giving false or misleading evidence).
Murdoch said Graham had been at the residence and “it was an occasion where participants were drinking alcohol and participants were engaged with snorting cocaine”.
“The evidence was that Ms Graham did not take any photos or videos, although when she’s taken a line of cocaine she lifted her head and saw another person appeared to be filming,” Murdoch said.
“Her (Graham’s) evidence was she asked that person to delete that.”
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Murdoch told the RAP Panel there had been a subsequent fallout between Graham and Waddell.
He alleged his client had been bullied and there had been a “threatening message” which she had received.
“Ms Waddell, who had been staying at Amy Graham’s flat, was asked to leave the flat,” Murdoch said.
“That led to tensions.
“My client subsequently contacted QRIC (Queensland Racing Integrity Commission) and advised them she was being bullied by certain other participants.”
The appeals board reserved their finding in the Graham matter.
At a recent stewards hearing, the panel accepted that Waddell did not intend or anticipate the video’s eventual publication.
But stewards found: “Stewards were satisfied that Ms Waddell had recorded a video on her phone depicting a licensed participant consuming an illicit substance, and that she chose to share that recording with another person who was also licensed within the industry.”
Originally published as Amy Graham cites Jamie Melham ‘precedent’ to appeal four-month white-powder video ban
