The final arguments have been made into allegations against a Molong greyhound trainer.
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Augustus Leslie Weekes was accused of nobbling greyhound Winlock Loyd by giving it alcohol to slow it down before a race at Bathurst on June 14, 2021.
Weekes previously pleaded not guilty in Orange Local Court to corrupting a betting outcome, two counts of using corrupt conduct and information to bet on an event as well as communicating corrupt information to another.
He was 63 at the time of the alleged offences.
The Molong-based trainer 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 the dog alcohol while betting $1000 on another dog and tipping two other men to back the winner.
On Friday, December 15, police prosecutor Sergeant Edward Knight and defence barrister Paul Rowe gave their final arguments in the circumstantial case.
Weekes is maintaining his not guilty plea and Mr Rowe reminded the court that Weekes is innocent until proven guilty "beyond reasonable doubt".
Prosecution's case
Sergeant Knight made his arguments first. The prosecution case was based around a telephone intercept of phone calls between Weekes and his son Toby Augustus Weekes.
He was unaware his son was under surveillance at the time for an unrelated investigation, which remains before the court.
Although Weekes himself was not part of that investigation, he was heard asking his son how to give the favourite, Winlock Lloyd, a slow race to boost the chance Winlock Moment winning a maiden race at Bathurst the following day.
One of the suggestions to hamper the dog's performance was to give him scotch mixed with milk and water.
During the race on June 14, 2021, Winlock Lloyd, ran up the back of another dog and came sixth. Meanwhile, Weekes won $3000 from his $1000 bet on Winlock Moment.
During another call with his son after the race, Weekes said he gave the dog liqueur.
However, under cross examination in November this year, Weekes told the court he "chickened out" about nobbling the greyhound, that he was big noting himself to his son, and liqueur was his term for Neutradex, a supplement which helps limit the build up of lactic acid.
"The defendant has time and time again [told] the court that this is just 'bullshit' between father and son," Sergeant Knight said.
"If this is bullshit, what's the purpose?"
He said Weekes also took pains to tell the court that he wouldn't bet on a dog unless it was going to win by "four, seven or 10 lengths" with the bet contradicting the intercepted conversations of which dog was better.
"He describes to his son that Winlock Lloyd is the better dog," Sergeant Knight said.
However, when interviewed by police and while giving evidence, Weekes maintained that Winlock Moment was always the better dog.
"Winlock Moment does not run a substantially better time," Sergeant Knight maintained.
"What gave him such confidence to bet on his second favourite dog in this particular day?
"It's because he nobbled the dog."
Sergeant Knight also raised issues with Weekes' answers under cross examination suggesting he was evading the questions.
"He speaks in generalities all the time," he said.
"I was asking the questions very specifically time and time again."
Weekes was also accused of tipping Winlock Moment to two other punters, one of whom placed a bet and won.
Sergeant Knight quoted from the intercepted call, 'I didn't get C's message until after the race that he wanted me to put $50 on it, I done him a favour by tipping him the dog, I shouldn't have to put money on it for him'."
Defence case
Defence barrister Paul Rowe refuted the allegations against Weekes and said his client was arrested and interviewed by police 13 months after the race.
He said Winlock Lloyd passed a vet check and scrutiny by stewards on the day of the race with no indications it was affected by alcohol.
Mr Rowe also referred to the advice given by Toby to give the dog a "slow race" by giving him 200 to 250ml of scotch with "a bit of water and milk".
Referring to an expert report he said if Weekes followed that advice it would be "akin to half a lethal dose" for the 31-kilogram dog.
He added that even 95ml of 42 per cent alcohol would "place the dog in a drunken stupor and being incapable to rise".
Mr Rowe also challenged the incident during Winlock Lloyd's race.
"What happens is Winlock Crocker cuts in and checks Winlock Lloyd resulting in Winlock Lloyd finding a dead end," he said.
"The replay of the race didn't lie, it's there for everybody to see."
He also said Weekes is not a big drinker and no alcohol was found when police conducted a search warrant of his home 13 months after the alleged offences. However, he said Neutradex was found and Weekes' vet confirmed he calls Neutradex "liqueur".
Mr Rowe also said his client had previously given evidence that he placed bets of $4000 and $5000 on his dogs multiple times each year and $1000 wasn't a big bet for him.
"If the accused had nobbled the dog, that is Winlock Lloyd, his bet would have been in my submissions much larger than $1000," he said.
"Why would he risk his career in greyhound racing on a $1000 bet?"
Mr Rowe said Weekes has always maintained during with his interview with police and in the witness box that Winlock Moment was the better dog.
He emphasised this by the comparison in how much he bet on each dog's winning maiden race.
When Winlock Lloyd won his maiden race at Bathurst on June 21, 2021 a week after the alleged incident Weekes had bet $250 on him to win.
He added that Weekes had Winlock Lloyd in his care for the week leading up to the race and put additional effort in to "get him pumped" before the race.
"If the accused really thought it was the better dog, the bet would have been more."
In regard to Weekes performance in the witness box Mr Rowe said his client is "not terribly sophisticated".
"If he gets defensive at times, he's a human being."
He added that Weekes had comprehension issues during the questioning.
Magistrate David Day has been overseeing the hearing and will pass judgement on whether Weekes is guilty or not guilty in early 2024.