Team Sky doctor says he destroyed laptop beyond use with screwdriver

Dr Richard Freeman with Bradley Wiggins in 2011. He says while he destroyed a laptop containing medical records he did so to safeguard the privacy of those records and not because he was trying to hide anything

Dr Richard Freeman, who previously worked as a doctor with Team Sky and British Cycling, has said he destroyed a laptop he used as part of his work by using a screwdriver or blunt instrument.

However, he has told a tribunal hearing in Britain he
destroyed the laptop, rather than bring it to a recycling centre, to ensure the
data on it could never be accessed rather than because he had anything to hide.

Freeman was appearing on Tuesday before a hearing of
Britain’s General Medical Council (GMC), which is examining his fitness to
continue practicing in the context of allegations made against him.

The hearing began 18 months ago but has been beset with adjournments and the session in Manchester today was the first time Freeman had given oral evidence to it.

Freeman worked for British Cycling and Team Sky. He admits ordering testosterone and later telling lies about it but says it was for medical purposes for Shane Sutton. He alleges Sutton bullied him into ordering the substance to treat erectile dysfunction, which Sutton strongly denies. However, Freeman denies the central allegation against him; that he order testosterone to give to athletes for performance enhancement

It emerged during today’s session that Freeman had used a
screwdriver or other blunt instrument to destroy the British Cycling laptop in
the period after UK Anti Doping (UKAD) examined it three years ago and the GMC seeking
it so it could examine the computer around the end of 2018.

UKAD was carrying out an inquiry into reports a medical package
had been delivered to Team Sky in France on the final stage of the Critérium du
Dauphiné in 2011.

The Daily Mail had put it to Team Sky that a medical
package had been delivered to it in France. The team then passed the allegation
to British Cycling and asked it to refer the matter to UKAD for it to
investigate.

UKAD concluded its investigation and never made any negative findings against Team Sky or any riders. Bradley Wiggins, whom the contents of the jiffy bag were allegedly for, has repeatedly insisted he did nothing wrong. No findings have ever been made against him.

Team Sky, including Dave Brailsford, said the bag contained a decongestant that was available over the counter and was not banned. But it accepted it had no records to prove it.

Wiggins on the podium on ‘jiffy bag day’, winning the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné from Cadel Evans and Alexandre Vinkourov. However, the allegations about the jiffy bag have never been proven and no finding has ever been made against Wiggins, who has strongly denied any wrongdoing. The inquiry into the jiffy bag allegation resulted from a media query by the Daily Mail to Team Sky, which referred the allegation on for investigation; something that greatly angered Wiggins (Photo: Sirotti)

Freeman has previously said his laptop containing medical
records covering the 2011 period had been stolen in Greece in 2014, which he
had reported to police.

He was then given a replacement laptop by British Cycling
and it is that replacement laptop – which was not back up - that he now says he
destroyed between 2017 and 2018.

He said his damaging the laptop, before giving it to the
GMC, was done in an “amateurish” way.

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He also claims he only destroyed the laptop, which was
not backed up, because he feared if he sent it to a recycling centre the
medical records data on it could be accessed by someone.

“I had seen a
programme about how people in India can access data on laptops,” he said. “I
decided I cannot let that happen so I destroyed it.

“This was in the midst of a period when I wasn’t feeling well. I told my lawyers and my solicitor Mr Eastwood said I shouldn’t do that for data protection reasons.”

Dave Brailsford has insisted the 2011 jiffy bag contained no more than an over the counter decongestant but he and Team Sky were unable to produce records to prove that. No findings were ever made against Team Sky or any riders despite a UKAD investigation. The jiffy bag allegations came from the Daily Mail

Freeman has accepted he ordered testosterone to the
National Cycling Centre in Manchester in 2011 and later lied about that but
says it was to treat Shane Sutton’s erectile dysfunction.

He also accepts he deviated from good medical practicing by
the way he sourced testosterone for Sutton on demand, saying he felt bullied by
him.

However, he is denying the central accusation against him;
that he sourced the testosterone to administer to athletes for performance
enhancement.

Sutton, who worked as a coach for Team Sky and British
Cycling, has previously denied he has erectile dysfunction or that he used
testosterone.

Freeman also claimed he was questioned by then Sky
chairman James Murdoch, as well as Team Sky personnel and Rupert Murdoch’s lawyer in 2017. He
claimed he was asked how he would answer questions at the parliamentary digital,
culture, media and sport (DCMS) committee into doping in sport.

He said he felt pressured and broke down at the meeting.
He later cancelled his scheduled appearance before the committee and told it he
would only answer questions in writing.

“I was on my own, living alone, isolated,” he told the
tribunal of the period in which he went to meet Murdoch, Team Sky personnel and
Rupert Murdoch’s lawyer.

“I started drinking again, taking more sedative
medication. I was on a slippery slope. I was due to give evidence to the DCMS
select committee but I found it very daunting.”

The General Medical Council hearing is continuing and was
expected to run until the end of next month.