Group 1-winning jockey Colm O’Donoghue won his trial on Monday, the Racing Post reported. O’Donoghue was acquitted on two counts of physical assault on his ex-partner Jill Macken in 2018. Carrick-on-Suir district court heard the case, where Judge Finn ruled O’Donoghue was innocent of the charges. The incidents were alleged to have occurred in O’Donoghue’s home in County Tipperary in October of 2018 and at the Pillo hotel in November of that year prior to the couple’s break up. Macken did not report the incidents to the authorities until February of 2019 after the two separated. In the first instance, O’Donoghue was not in Ireland after riding in Newmarket that day and in the second instance, the court found issue with Ms. Macken’s claims. A WhatsApp message displayed to the court from Macken to O’Donoghue stated, “Now to ruin ur life.”
Only 40, O’Donoghue had ceased riding in late 2019 and is once again based at Ballydoyle after riding for Jessica Harrington in the past, as well as the Aidan O’Brien outfit earlier in his career.
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