In February 2017 the United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the rugby player Tyrell Wilson after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered and the Athlete submitted a statement in his defence. Hereafter the Athlete’s council ceased to represent him in this case as the Athlete failed to respond to the communications from UKAD and refused to attend the hearing of the National Anti-Doping Panel.
The Athlete gave a prompt admission, accepted the test result and submitted that the violation was not intentional as he had used the MDMA as a recreational drug out-of-competition.
UKAD submitted that the test result establish the presence of the prohibited substance in the Athlete’s sample and accordingly that he committed an anti-doping rule violation. UKAD contended that the Athlete's use of the MDMA was intentional and during in-competition as sustained by the conclusion of the London Doping Lab.
The Panel acknowledge that the Athlete had committed an anti-doping rule violation but it was not convinced that the Athlete did so to cheat. Also the Panel finds that UKAD did not establish to the comfortable satisfaction of the Panel that the violation was intentional.
Considering the Athlete’s prompt admission the National Anti-Doping Panel decides on 13 August 2018 to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the sample collection, i.e. on 13 January 2018.
