Graeme Dott, the Scottish snooker player who won the World Championship in 2006, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually abusing two children.
The 49-year-old appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, where the judge imposed a backdated sentence of seven years. The ruling closes a case that began with his sudden suspension from the sport in April 2025.
What the court heard
A five-day trial heard that Dott exposed himself in front of both children, touched them inappropriately and kissed them. He was found guilty in August of two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour. The verdict came on 24 August 2026, and he was remanded in custody until sentencing.
Jurors heard from two complainants. One is a woman now in her 40s, who said Dott abused her on multiple occasions when she was a child. The other is a man now in his late 20s, who told the court he was abused by Dott more than once. Both were primary school age at the time.
The charges covered two separate periods. Court papers said the first count concerned a girl of around 10 between 1993 and 1996, and the second a young boy between 2006 and 2010. The alleged incidents took place at several addresses in Glasgow’s east end and in South Lanarkshire, as well as in a vehicle.
Sentencing Dott, the judge did not soften his language. He said Dott had robbed the complainers of a significant part of their childhood, that both children were vulnerable, and that his actions carried the hallmarks of grooming. The judge also described the offending as a “gross violation of trust.” One report says Dott was also ordered to remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Dott still maintains his innocence
Dott has never accepted the verdict. The court heard that he continues to maintain his innocence. His defence had taken the same line before trial. His solicitor, Euan Dow, told a hearing that the allegations were fabricated and that there was no truth in any of them.
The defence also raised his health at sentencing. The judge noted that Dott has long-standing mental health issues and recognises that a custodial sentence is inevitable.
The case became public in April 2025, days before the World Championship was due to start in Sheffield. Dott had been due to play in the tournament, but the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association suspended him as soon as the court papers emerged. The governing body said it would be inappropriate to comment further while court proceedings were ongoing.
He pleaded not guilty and stayed on bail. A trial date of 17 August 2026 was set, with the hearing expected to last five days. That timetable held, and the jury delivered its verdict a week later.
After the conviction, Dott’s name was removed from World Snooker’s Hall of Fame.
His career had been one of the more celebrated in the modern game. He was world champion in 2006 and runner-up in 2004 and 2010. His 18-14 win over Peter Ebdon at the Crucible earned him the £200,000 first prize, 12 years after turning professional. He was a fixture at the Crucible for three decades, and the case has left many in the sport confronting how they remember him.
Where things stand
Dott begins a seven-year sentence, with the time already spent on remand counted towards it. Nothing in the reporting so far indicates whether he intends to appeal, and we will update this article if that changes.
Graeme Dott, the Scottish snooker player who won the World Championship in 2006, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually abusing two children.
The 49-year-old appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, where the judge imposed a backdated sentence of seven years. The ruling closes a case that began with his sudden suspension from the sport in April 2025.
