Jurors at Fallon trial given bet warning

Potential jurors in the Kieren Fallon race-fixing trial were today told they could not serve if they had bet on any of the races involved.

The 100 members of the public were given a questionnaire which asked if they had bet on one of 27 horses and the details of the various races.

The six-times champion jockey, two other jockeys and three other defendants deny being in a conspiracy to fix horse races.

They were at the Old Bailey in London to see the jury selection. Twelve people will be empanelled next week at the start of the four month trial.

The potential jurors were told on their questionnaire ``The prosecution case concerns an allegation that a number of horse races were ''fixed``, to put it colloquially.

``It follows that if the prosecution allegation is right, then anybody who was involved in betting in those races may be a victim of this alleged offence.

``That being so, it would obviously be inappropriate for such a person to sit on this jury.''

Other jurors were told they were barred if they had any connections to the world of racing.

The accused, who are all on bail, are alleged to have taken part in a plot to defraud punters using the online Betfair exchange.

Fallon, 42, formerly of Newmarket, Cambridgeshire, but now of Tipperary, Ireland, is being tried alongside fellow jockeys Fergal Lynch, 29, of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, and Darren Williams, 29, of Leyburn, North Yorkshire.

Also charged are Lynch's brother, Shaun Lynch, 37, of Derry, Northern Ireland, former racing syndicate director Miles Rodgers, 38, of Silkstone, South Yorkshire, and Philip Sherkle, 42, of Tamworth, Staffordshire.

They are accused of conspiracy to defraud between December 2002 and September 2004 by interfering with the running of horses to ensure they lost races, defrauding Betfair punters.

Rodgers is also accused of concealing the proceeds of crime.