Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been sentenced to seven years in jail after being found guilty of sexually abusing two primary school-age children.
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Dott → sentence → children
The 49-year-old subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse, with the girl targeted between 1993 and 1996 and the boy between 2006 and 2010.
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girl → subject → 2006
Imposing a backdated sentence of seven years, he said Dott’s behaviour had involved a “gross violation of trust”.
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behaviour → impose → trust
A five-day trial heard Dott exposed himself in front of both children, touched them inappropriately and kissed them.
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Dott → hear → them
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In August, he was found guilty of two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards them.
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he → read → them
During the trial, jurors heard from one of Dott’s victims, a woman now in her 40s.
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jurors → hear → 40s
She told the court that Dott had sexually abused her on multiple separate occasions while she was a child.
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she → tell → occasions
The second victim, a man who is now in his late 20s, said he was sexually abused by Dott on multiple occasions.
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he → say → occasions
Dott had denied the charges but was found guilty by the jury.
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Dott → deny → jury
Lord Harrower remanded him in custody and his name was added to the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
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name → remand → register
Sentencing Dott, Lord Harrower said his actions bore “the hallmarks of grooming”.
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actions → sentence → grooming
He said that both children were vulnerable and added: “Your behaviour bore the hallmarks of grooming.”
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behaviour → say → grooming
Lord Harrower said that while the offending against Jane happened while Dott was still a child aged around 16 or 17 himself, the offences against Kevin took place while Dott was an adult.
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Dott → say → place
He said: “You robbed the complainers of a significant part of their childhood.”
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You → say → childhood
The judge said Dott’s only previous convictions had been for “relatively minor road traffic offences”.
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convictions → say → offences
Dott, who appeared in the dock wearing a light pink shirt and a suit, was led away in handcuffs following the sentencing.
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who → appear → sentencing
Dott’s lawyer Euan Dow spoke in mitigation at the hearing in Edinburgh.
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lawyer → speak → Edinburgh
He said the 49-year-old was now separated from his wife but she remains supportive of him.
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she → say → him
Mr Dow said his client had left school aged 15 in order to pursue a career as a professional snooker player.
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client → say → player
Dott has “long standing mental health issues” and “recognises that a custodial sentence is inevitable”, he said.
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he → have → issues
Mr Dow said that following the conviction “both his personal and professional reputations have been destroyed”, noting that Dott has been removed from World Snooker’s hall of fame.
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Dott → say → fame
The court heard Dott continues to maintain his innocence.
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Dott → hear → innocence
Dott, who turned professional in 1994, won the World Snooker Championship in 2006, defeating Peter Ebdon in the final at the Crucible in Sheffield.
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who → turn → Sheffield
He reached the final in two other years but was beaten by Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2004 and Neil Robertson in 2010.
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He → reach → 2010
Following his conviction, Dott’s name was removed from World Snooker’s hall of fame.
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name → follow → fame
Procurator Fiscal Faye Cook of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said: “Graeme Dott achieved success and public admiration but, in private, he exploited the trust of two children to abuse and coerce them.
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he → say → them
“Dott’s criminal behaviour has been his downfall and he now faces the consequences of his actions.
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he → face → actions
“At the heart of his offending are victims who were harmed when very young and we are grateful that they felt able to report their experiences.
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they → harm → experiences
“COPFS recognises it can be difficult to report non-recent offending, perhaps even more so by figures who have authority or profile.
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who → recognise → authority
“But we will take all reports seriously, we will listen and we will prosecute robustly wherever possible.
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we → take → reports
Justice has no time limit.”
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Justice → have → limit
Following Dott’s conviction on August 24, detective inspector Gary Smillie praised the bravery of the snooker player’s victims in coming forward with details of his crimes.
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Smillie → follow → crimes
The female victim first gave a statement to police about Dott’s behaviour in 2001.
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victim → give → 2001
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