A Molong greyhound trainer accused of nobbling a greyhound by giving it alcohol to slow it down before a race has taken to the witness box to be cross examined in court.
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Augustus Leslie Weekes has pleaded not guilty to corrupting a betting outcome, two counts of using corrupt conduct and information to bet on an event and communicating corrupt information to another in 2021.
The 64-year-old had a good record in harness racing and greyhound racing before these charges were laid.
The hearing began earlier this year and resumed on Wednesday, November 1, when Weekes was cross examined in Orange Local Court about allegations he gave alcohol to greyhound Winlock Lloyd while betting on another dog and tipping two other men to back the winner.
Winlock Lloyd was one of three litter mates Weekes had running in the same maiden race at Bathurst on June 14, 2021. The others were Winlock Crocker and the eventual winner Winlock Moment.
Weekes owned Winlock Moment and said he was looking after the other two on behalf of his son Kaleb Weekes, who has not been charged or accused of wrong doing.
Although Winlock Lloyd went into the race as the favourite, Weekes placed a $1000 bet on Winlock Moment and won $3000 on him.
Winlock Lloyd came second last after running up the back of Winlock Crocker.
How allegations came to light
During the cross examination, Weekes said Winlock Moment had always been the better dog during trials and he described $1000 as a small amount, saying he usually puts on four or five $5000 bets each year.
The allegations Weekes fixed the race to increase Winlock Moment's chances came to light amidst a covert police investigation into another of his children, Toby Weekes.
Toby Weekes is also a prominent greyhound trainer in Molong and was under surveillance as part of a police operation into suspected criminal activity. A phone tap revealed a conversation between the father and son about giving Winlock Lloyd a slow run by giving him alcohol before the race.
"I was thinking about it," Weekes told the court during the cross examination.
"I chickened out, I've got too much respect for my surname to be spread all over the TV and the news, which I was anyway.
"I didn't have the guts to do it, I didn't want to end up with a criminal record especially at the age of 64."
Big noting and bulls---t
Police prosecutor Sergeant Edward Knight asked Weekes why he told his son he gave the dog liqueur when they spoke over the phone after the race on June 14, 2021.
"I was just big noting myself," Weekes said, while telling the court numerous times about the competitive relationship he had with Toby.
"What I tell Toby is one thing and what happens is another.
"We bullshit a fair bit and he tries to out do me and I try to out do him.
"I'm not proud of it and we don't get on."
One of the intercepted phone calls also revealed Weekes telling his son "the one dog", meaning Winlock Lloyd, "can beat him," referring to Winlock Moment.
"The one dog can beat him but ... I gave him some, I've got it here on the table, it's a liqueur."
However, in court Weekes maintained that he was lying to his son.
"If I thought [Winlock Lloyd] could win I would have backed him," Weekes told the court.
"That dog could never ever beat [Winlock Moment]."
Medication not alcohol given to dog
Throughout the multi-day hearing, the defence has argued that liqueur was a nickname Weekes had for the medication Neutradex, which helps limit the build up of lactic acid.
Although many trainers give it to their dogs after a race, the court was told some, like Weekes, prefer to do it before a race and in this case he squirted it over Winlock Lloyd's tongue two days before the meeting.
"You cannot syringe it over the tongue on race day," Weekes said.
"Two days before you are allowed to do it, I always do it, it doesn't hurt the dog.
"If you don't use it you risk a dog coming back cramped up ... it helps them get through the race.
"I pride myself on looking after the dog."
Vet testifies
A vet Weekes uses for his dogs, Dr Clare Harrison also gave evidence to the use of Neutradex in greyhound racing and said Weekes does call it liqueur.
"That's what he calls Neutradex," Dr Harrison said.
"It's a layman's term that not only Gus but other greyhound trainers call Neutradex."
She said she's been working for the Weekes family for 13 years mostly by vaccinating dogs at Toby, Kaleb and Augustus Weekes' properties although she hadn't seen Kaleb or "Gus" for about eight months.
What is tipping
Wednesday's cross examination was at times confrontational and drawn out with periods of confusion, with Weekes not always understanding the prosecutor's questions and accusing the prosecutor of "throwing me under the bus".
Weekes denied giving tips to others that the dog would win, saying there's a difference between tipping and telling someone "I think the dog will win".
The police investigation revealed he told a man he should put $50 on Winlock Moment and that he told another he thought the dog would win.
"In your terminology, that's a tip," Sergeant Knight said referencing the recommended bet after a drawn out discussion on the meaning of tipping.
"People who had a $20 or a $50 bet doesn't register with me," Weekes said.
"I said 'he's trialling well, if he jumps in front he has a good chance of winning'," Weekes added about his conversation with the man at the track.
Winlock Lloyd went on to win his maiden race at Bathurst a week later on June 21 and on that occasion Weekes had bet $250 on him, an amount he described as "petrol money".
He said he had also put more work into the dog which was racing better and was more focused by that stage.
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