Blow for Varnish case as Dr Freeman pulls out of tribunal

Former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman pulled out of giving evidence on Jess Varnish’s behalf at her employment tribunal in Manchester.

Dr Freeman had been scheduled to appear at the tribunal yesterday but Varnish’s barrister David Reade QC told Employment Judge Ross that the medic has been advised by his own lawyers that he should not attend. This is related to Dr Freeman facing a General Medical Council (GMC) tribunal in February, when he will be questioned about the delivery of testosterone patches to the National Cycling Centre and other contentious issues related to his time with cycling’s national governing body and Team Sky.

Reade explained to the tribunal that a copy of Dr Freeman’s written statement had been provided by British Cycling to thegmcandthemedicalbody had said it would send representatives to the employment tribunal to hear his evidence.

Reade said that with British Cycling’s barrister Thomas Linden QC certain to “crossexamine Dr Freeman to establish his probity”, the doctor’s lawyers advised him not to attend.

Judge Ross pointed out that if the respondents cannot crossexamine him, she must give his witness statement “limited weight or none at all”.

Reade replied by saying Varnish’s camp would withdraw the statement.

Linden criticised Dr Freeman for “not having the courage to be cross-examined or for me to point out to him that his statements are false”.

Varnish is trying to persuade the tribunal that she, and other funded athletes, are employees, so she can then sue British Cycling for wrongful dismissal and sex discrimination when they dropped her from the programme in March 2016.