A fitness to practice inquiry into Dr Richard Freeman, who worked for Team Sky – now Team Ineos – and British Cycling witnessed remarkable scenes today when Shane Sutton gave evidence.
The former Australian pro cyclist worked on the coaching
side of Team Sky and British Cycling and has been accused of bullying Dr
Freeman into ordering sachets of Testogel, a testosterone product.
Freeman admits he told “a lot of lies” about his time at
Team Sky and British Cycling including trying to conceal the fact that he had
ordered the Testogel to the Team Sky-British Cycling base at Manchester
velodrome in 2011.
However, he says now that while he admits the banned
substance was not delivered in error, as he tried to claim previously, he has
insisted it was not ordered to help any riders dope.
Advertisement
The British General Medical Council’s case is that the sachets
were ordered so an unnamed rider could micro-dose.
However, Freeman denies this and claims he was bullied into ordering the Testogel to treat what he claims was Shane Sutton’s erectile dysfunction.
Sutton has been called as a witness by the British General
Medical Council and strongly denies the product has anything to do with him.
When he appeared before the tribunal today to give evidence
he was questioned by Freeman’s lawyer Mary O’Rourke QC, with sparks flying and
Sutton at one point storming out for a period.
Sutton accused Mary O’Rourke of
being a “bully” and threatened to sue her for “defamation”.
He reportedly banged his first on
the table before saying: “I am leaving the hearing now. I don’t need to be
dragged into this shit fight”.
Related News
He was angered after he was accused
during cross-examination by O’Rourke of being a doper and serial liar.
Dr Freeman, who once worked closely
with Sutton, was at the hearing today. He is behind a screen and cannot be seen
by those who give evidence as he has had health issues and has been allowed the
status of ‘vulnerable witness’.
“I have never ordered any Testogel,
I swear on my three-year-old daughter’s life,” Sutton told the hearing on being
questioned by O’Rourke.
“You are telling the press I can’t
get a hard on – my wife wants to testify that you are a bloody liar.”
Addressing remarks to Dr Freeman he
said: “Richard take the screen down and look me in the eye. There’s a word
spineless that comes into play.”
O’Rourke described Sutton as “a
habitual and serial liar” and as “a doper with a doping history”.
Sutton reacted to this charge with
extreme annoyance, though O’Rourke told him she did not believe his evidence
and she had to test his credibility.
“My career spanned 100 tests and every one was negative,”
Sutton replied of the allegation he had doped.
“You have called me a serial liar but you don’t even know
me. I just think you are totally out of order. An apology would be nice given
you don’t even know me.
“I am prepared to take a lie detector test. Who is lying?
The guy who isn’t prepared to look his friend in the eye.
“This is a guy who came to hospital when I had bleeding on
the brain when he had no reason to. To me he is a bloody good doctor and a
friend.”
Topics
