DISGRACED rower Josh Booth is likely
to be sent home early, ordered to pay $2200 (1400 pounds) in damages
and make personal apologies to shop owners after smashing windows in
Egham.
A decision on Booth's immediate future is expected within hours as
the Australian Olympic committee, police and local business owners try
to resolve the matter.
Booth allegedly smashed windows at two
businesses in the English village of Egham, apparently thinking he was
breaking into his own home.
The damage occurred after Booth and
his men's rowing eight teammates spent a day at the pub after finishing
last in their final at Eton Dorney.
The businesses included
engineering firm B.W. Dartnell and Associates, where Booth allegedly
used a large planter box to break a patterned glass window.
Two doors down, a window at Hugo's Restaurant was also smashed.
AOC deputy Chef de Mission Chris Fydler refused to say if Booth would be ordered home by team boss Nick Green.
"That's something Nick will talk about at 5 o'clock today, the
actual discipline that will be applied to Josh. I don't want to pre-empt
that," Fydler said.
"We've been working with the local police in that area as well as the shop owners where the damage was done.
"We are working through a process at the moment of Josh formally apologising to the shop owners for the damage he caused.
"We've had assessment of that damage and Josh will be paying those shop owners to repair that damage.
"The amount is approximately 1400 pounds in total to repair that damage.
"Later
today - we expect it will be probably 5pm - Nick Green, down at Eton,
will be making a press statement hopefully to resolve this matter
completely for us.
"It's a process we're working through with police at the moment.
"We're
looking for an effective resolution between ourselves, the police and
the shop owners and we feel confident that we will have that resolution
by this afternoon."
Fydler said other sport section managers have been put on notice to remind athletes such behaviour will not be tolerated.
"This has been an embarrassing situation, not just for rowing, but for us as well," he said.
"We
expect a much higher standard of behaviour from all of our athletes and
we'll certainly be reminding the section managers, as various sports
start to complete that a level of behaviour is expected of their
athletes."
Fydler said Booth was inconsolable.
"Nick has spent some time with Josh when he was down at Eton yesterday," Fydler said
"Josh is very apologetic and embarrassed about what's happened and certainly wants to make good for any damage that he caused.
"It's
quite out of character for Josh and he really can't explain why he
actually conducted himself in that particular way but accepts that is
what happened and is prepared for any of the repercussions that result."
A
spokeswoman for the Egham engineering firm said Australian Olympic Chef
de Mission Nick Green apologised to her over the phone for their
smashed door window.
"He said he was sorry and Josh was very sorry for the damage he caused," the staff member said.
She said she accepted the apology and pitied the young athlete.
"Probably sober he would never dream of doing what he did but it's a shame as that is what he will be remembered for."
The
men's eight crew member will also have to face the Australian Olympic
Committee, whose officials had warned them to "behave appropriately".
Dressed
in his gold Australian tracksuit, Booth had been out drinking with
fellow rowers on Wednesday after his crew finished last in their final
at nearby Eton Dorney.
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