November date for continuation of Russell's hearing

By Kayon Raynor

A November 17 date has been set for closing submissions by the legal teams for JADCO and Andre Russell into the cricketer's whereabouts anti-doping hearing. Russell and another witness provided evidence during Thursday's fifth sitting of his case at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

The respective legal teams, Patrick Foster for Russell and Lackston Robinson who is prosecuting the case for JADCO, are expected to file and exchange written submissions after receiving the transcript of notes from the hearing which has seen five witnesses testifying over five sittings since September 19.

Russell returned to the witness stand on Thursday morning and spent three hours being grilled by Robinson who sought to prove negligences on the all-rounder's part for the three filing failures within seven months in 2015 starting January.

The other two missed filings were registered on July 1 and 25. Russell maintained he enlisted the assistance of the day's fifth witness Judith Lue who made two of Russell's whereabouts filings with JADCO on February 17 and April 1 as well as his agent Will Quin, as he was not educated sufficiently to do so and was playing cricket overseas for long periods.

When Lue took the stand, she testified that the all-rounder had indeed requested her assistance with the filing while he was overseas playing cricket. She said she was walked through the process on both ocassion via the telephone by one of JADCO's earlier witnesses, Tajae Smith.

Russell's lead attorney Patrick Foster QC, was coy on his thoughts as to how he sees the case after testimony by the five witnesses.

The Hugh Faulkner-chaired three member Independent Anti-Doping Discliplinary Panel gave permission for Russell to participate in the November 17 sitting via skype should he be off the island.