Former Team Sky head coach and British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton stormed out of a medical tribunal, furiously denying he was a “doper.”
Raging Sutton cut short his witness evidence, branding Dr Richard Freeman “spineless” for staying behind a screen, at the hearing to determine former Sky medic's fitness to practise medicine.
Dr Freeman is alleged to have ordered a batch of 30 Testogel sachets at the national velodrome in Manchester eight years ago, knowing or believing it was to help an athlete enhance performance in breach of anti-doping laws – which he denies.
In explosive exchanges between Sutton and Freeman's counsel Mary O'Rourke QC, the Aussie mentor had been sensationally branded a “serial liar” and a “doper with a doping history.”
And Sutton furiously denied a suggestion that the Testogel was to treat his alleged erectile dysfunction, scowling: “My wife wants to come here and testify you're a liar.”
Miss O'Rourke claimed witnesses had come forward in recent weeks to allege Sutton was “a liar, a doper and a bully.”
Sutton responded by telling Freeman to “take down the screen,” “man up” and “look me in the eye.”
After two hours of cross-examination by Miss O'Rourke, Sutton announced he was leaving the hearing and departed with an amazing rant: “He is hiding behind a screen, which is spineless. Richard, you're a spineless individual.
“I don't need to be dragged through this s*** fight she is dragging me through personally. Am I the one on trial here? I feel like I'm the criminal. It wasn't for me and I never ordered it.”
Sutton suggested he would be prepared to take a lie detector test to prove he did not order the Testogel sachets.
