Michael Hooper suspended for misconduct: A 7-month ban with conditional terms
The NSW Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission (GWIC) has handed down a significant disciplinary action against Michael Hooper, a registered public greyhound trainer and breeder.
The decision, finalised on June 28, 2024 but not reported by GWIC until July 2, resulted in a seven-month suspension for Hooper, with two of those months conditionally suspended for a period of twelve months.
The case revolves around an incident on March 8, 2024, when Hooper made a phone call to Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW).
During this call, he directed offensive language towards an official, which triggered a stewards’ inquiry on May 13, 2024.
Following the inquiry, Hooper was formally charged under Rule 165(c)(a)(iii) for engaging in contemptuous and offensive conduct towards an official.
The initial notice of charge was issued to Hooper on June 3, 2024, proposing an eight-month suspension.
The hearing was scheduled for June 6 but was adjourned to June 24, 2024, to accommodate further deliberation.
At this hearing, Hooper pled not guilty and presented verbal submissions to defend his actions.
Despite his defence, the decision-makers, Chief Steward Troy Vassallo and Senior Steward Dean Degan, found the charge proven.
They issued a seven-month suspension, with two months of this term conditionally suspended for a year.
This conditional suspension means that if Hooper refrains from similar misconduct during this period, he will avoid serving the additional two months.
His suspension began on July 2, 2024, and will run until December 2, 2024.
The decision-makers took into account several factors in reaching their verdict:
- Hooper’s not guilty plea and his verbal submissions during the hearing.
- His registration history, noting a poor disciplinary record related to conduct matters.
- Precedent penalties in similar cases.
- Hooper’s personal and professional circumstances.
- The principles of specific and general deterrence, aiming to send a clear message to the greyhound racing community about the consequences of such behaviour.
AustralianRacingGreyhound note from its own records that Hooper was twice before stewards in 2014. Once for a positive swab to caffeine, and once for a misconduct charge related to social media.
This decision underscores the Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission’s commitment to maintaining high standards of conduct within the industry.
By enforcing such disciplinary measures, the Commission aims to deter similar behaviour and uphold the integrity of greyhound racing.