Snooker champion Graeme Dott guilty of child abuse

The Trial and Verdict at the High Court in Glasgow

Following a five-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow, jurors delivered a non-unanimous guilty verdict on Monday against former world snooker champion Graeme Dott. The 49-year-old was convicted of two counts of lewd, indecent, and libidinous behaviour toward a girl and a boy while they were of primary school age. The offences spanned from 1993 to 1996 involving the female victim, and from 2006 to 2010 involving the male victim, according to court reporting from STV.

The court heard that Dott subjected both children to multiple incidents of abuse, which included exposing himself in front of them, touching them inappropriately, and kissing them. In both cases, the abuse happened in the Glasgow area, though allegations involving the boy specifically included incidents at a property and within a car in South Lanarkshire.

As the verdict was read, Dott covered his face with his hands, shook his head, and appeared to be sobbing in the dock. Presiding judge Lord Harrower remanded Dott in custody and instructed him to add his name and address to the sex offenders register. He is scheduled to appear for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh on September 29, as detailed by the BBC.

Prior to the verdict, Lord Harrower told jurors they must consider all off the admissible evidence and reminded them that the Crown must prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. He further instructed the jury: Please give the case full and careful consideration.

Evidence From the Victims and Crown Arguments

During the proceedings, prosecutors presented testimony from both victims. The female complainant, now a woman in her 40s, told jurors she was targeted in the Glasgow region during her primary school years. She recalled that the abuse began when Dott started “caressing” her buttocks over her clothing while giving her an indoor piggyback ride, an account noted by The Independent.

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She also described an instance where Dott suggested playing a guessing game that involved removing her trousers, lifting her top, and kissing her stomach. In her closing speech, advocate depute Lindsey Dalziel told the jury that the Crown’s case demonstrated that Dott subjected vulnerable children to the worst kind of abuse with a course of conduct relying on opportunity for his own gratification.

Dalziel added, The evidence in this case has not been easy to listen to at times, and suggested the reason was that the jury had heard very real, very graphic details of childhood sexual abuse.

The second victim, a man now in his late 20s, detailed abuse that occurred in South Lanarkshire properties and within a car, according to Sky Sports. He testified that Dott molested him primarily while he was in the shower, washing him and touching him in inappropriate places. The witness stated that because of his age at the time, he did not realize the interaction was wrong until later in life, as reported by V2radio.

Dott’s Defence and the Historical Timeline

Taking the stand in his own defence last week, Dott maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. Under cross-examination by Ms Dalziel, Dott denied being attracted to the first victim when she was young, calling the allegations “disgusting,” and asserted that the allegations regarding the second victim were complete lies because the boy was never in his company.

Defence counsel Euan Dow urged jurors to reject the testimony of both complainants, arguing that their accounts contained flaws and lacked dependability. Despite the defence’s request to clear the former champion of both charges, the jury returned guilty verdicts.

Police previously made contact with Dott regarding the allegations in 2001 after the female victim reported the matter following guidance from a secondary school teacher. No charges were brought at that time, and the complaint remained inactive until the woman provided a new statement to police in November 2024, as outlined by regional radio reports. Dott turned professional in 1994 and secured his career pinnacle by winning the World Snooker Championship at The Crucible in Sheffield in 2006, later reaching the finals in 2004 and 2010.