THE Irish jockey Walter Swinburn has been charged with assault and criminal damage following an incident at a restaurant in the English racing town of Newmarket, police said yesterday. He is to appear in court on February 27th.
Mr Swinburn (35), hailed as a boy wonder when he won his first English Derby in 1981, was arrested last Friday night and released on police bail. He was seriously injured during a race in Hong Kong last year but has now fully recovered. He recently completed a 10 day walk across Ireland in aid of charities in Ireland, England and Hong Kong. He won his third English Derby in 1995.