Melham’s tribunal push
Jockey wants bets hearing behind closed doors
JOCKEY Ben Melham will face the Victorian Racing Tribunal in September on seven betting-related charges.
Melham, 32, wants the matter heard behind closed doors at the County Court but Judge John Bowman said on Tuesday he would need to be “persuaded” about the request.
The hearing will be heard over three days from September 21.
“Mr Melham indicated the ultimate hearing to be a closed hearing,” Judge Bowman said.
“I’d want to be persuaded about that. I won’t make any ruling on that at the moment, but at some stage that will have to be determined.”
Melham was charged in May with allegedly placing thousands of dollars in bets, using an account operated by his partner Karlie Dales, on races at Sandown, Geelong, Sunshine Coast and Singapore, between July and September last year.
It is alleged the 17-time Group 1 winner, who pleaded not guilty at a directions hearing in May, wagered more than $14,000 in bets on one day using his partner’s account.
The charges related to 31 bets last year totalling more than $21,000, including four bets allegedly made on horses Melham rode. None of the charges related to Melham betting against his own rides.
Stewards accepted the tabling of three “outlines” late on Monday from John Kelly SC, acting on behalf of Melham and Dales, and that any further statements would be produced no later than 4pm on Wednesday, with a view to responding by August 5.
Mr Kelly told the directions hearing: “Although we have indicated that we are in a position to file an outline from the GP and obstetrician by this afternoon, that’s not the case.
“It should be the 21st and not the 14th. That was a typo. We are still endeavouring to chase up the materials. I’m happy to do that (preliminary legal hearing), but I say this takes place after the filing of outlines in relation to what witnesses can and can’t say.”
All parties have agreed on a “preliminary legal hearing”, at a date to be fixed, for Judge Bowman to hear arguments about specific “questions of law” raised in the statements.
Melham, who has one ride at Cranbourne on Wednesday, is permitted to continue riding until the final determination of the charges. He faces a mandatory two-year ban if found guilty of placing the bets.