n November 2019 the United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the rugby player Jesse Patton after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Metandienone. After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and he was heard for the National Anti-Doping Panel.
The Athlete denied the intentional use of the substance, accepted the test result and asserted that an unprescribed medication was the source of the positive test. He had used this medication prior to the testing obtained from a friend after he had caught a sexually transmitted disease from a woman he had been dating.
UKAD contended that the Athlete failed to establish that the violation was not intentional nor demonstrated with any evidence how the prohibited substance entered his system.
The Panel finds that presence of the prohibited substance has been established in the Athlete's sample and accordingly that he committed an anti-doping rule violation. The Panel deems that the Athlete failed to establish how the Metandienone had entered his system because he did not produce any documentary of physical evidence in support of his explanation.
The Panel holds that even if the Athlete did not deliberately ingest Metandienone, he acted recklessly since he did not seek medical advice for his condition and did not check this medication, supplements or drinks for prohibited substances before using.
Therefore the National Anti-Doping Panel decides on 11 June 2020 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 8 November 2019.
