Fillol gets a 14 week ban

Jerome Fillol has been handed a 14 week ban, for spitting in the face of Peter Stringer. The incident which occurred last Saturday afternoon, as Bath took on Stade Francais.

The Judicial officer found that Fillol had spat in the face of Stringer and that it had been an intentional, deliberate and grave act. The Judicial Officer identified no aggravating factors, and after taking into account compelling mitigating factors, which included the genuine remorse expressed by the player at the hearing, as well as his exemplary record and strong character references, the Judicial Officer applied mitigation of 12 weeks, before imposing a sanction a 14 weeks.

The suspension will take into account the closed season and will therefore cover a 10-week period from 6 April to 16 June 2013 and a further four weeks from 15 July to 11 August 2013 in addition to the closed-season period.

Fillol is free to play on 12 August 2013.