{"id":600335,"date":"2026-08-21T16:14:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T16:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/600335\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T16:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T16:14:10","slug":"snooker-star-graeme-dott-subjected-children-to-worst-kind-of-abuse-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/600335\/","title":{"rendered":"Snooker star Graeme Dott subjected children to \u2018worst kind of abuse\u2019 \u2013 court"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former snooker world champion Graeme Dott \u201csubjected young children to the worst kind of abuse\u201d, a lawyer has told a court.<\/p>\n

The 49-year-old is accused of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards two primary school age children.<\/p>\n

The allegations span from 1993 to 1996 involving a girl; and 2006 to 2010 involving a boy; both in the Glasgow region.<\/p>\n

Dott has denied the two charges against him.<\/p>\n

The Crown’s case is that Graeme Dott subjected vulnerable children to the worst kind of abuse with a course of conduct which relied on opportunity, for his own gratification<\/p>\n

Lindsey Dalziel, advocate depute<\/p>\n

Giving her closing speech to the jury at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday, advocate depute Lindsey Dalziel called on the jury to find Dott guilty of both charges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe evidence in this case has not been easy to listen to at times,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suggest the reason for that is you have heard very real, very graphic details of childhood sexual abuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Crown\u2019s case is that Graeme Dott subjected vulnerable children to the worst kind of abuse with a course of conduct which relied on opportunity, for his own gratification.\u201d<\/p>\n

She told the jury they might find it \u201cinherently compelling\u201d that two different alleged victims had come forward at different times, and given reports of abuse by Dott that contained \u201cso many similarities\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not, unfortunately, coincidence,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a demonstration of guilt\u201d.<\/p>\n

She also said Dott would have had sufficient opportunity to carry out the alleged abuse as it was described by the witnesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are talking about occasions of abuse that could have been spaced over two or more years, months apart,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cUpwards of seven incidents.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, it would not have taken much opportunity for him to abuse either of them in this scenario.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cThe opportunity has not been excluded on the basis of the evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dalziel praised the \u201clevel of detail\u201d given by the first alleged victim, who, she reminded the jury, described the abuse beginning with Dott \u201ccaressing\u201d her bottom over her clothing while giving her a piggy back.<\/p>\n

The prosecutor said there the witness reported a \u201cprogression\u201d from there to other incidents, including kissing and a \u201cguessing game\u201d in which Dott is alleged to have exposed himself and touched her with different parts of his body.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe did not just give details of that happened,\u201d Ms Dalziel said of the witness.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo gave details about what she felt, what the sensations were, what the smells were.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suggest she was a straightforward and credible witness, doing her best to tell the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms Dalziel also said it was \u201cnatural\u201d that there were differences in the accounts she had given to different people when she first reported the alleged abuse, adding that it \u201cshows the evidence is not rehearsed\u201d.<\/p>\n

The lawyer also praised the \u201ccrystal clear\u201d evidence given by Dott\u2019s second alleged victim, who told the court on Thursday the abuse had started while he was having a shower.<\/p>\n

Dalziel said the witness had alleged multiple incidents in the shower, where Dott is alleged to have touch the boy inappropriately while washing him, for his own sexual gratification.<\/p>\n

The witness said, on other occasions, Dott had kissed him, and that he could remember the smell of the soap he used.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he seem to be reaching for facts, or did that come quite easily to him?\u201d the advocate asked the jury of the alleged victim\u2019s evidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would suggest (he) was a compelling witness. He was relaxed, conversational, keen to give detail and description,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cWhat good reason do you really have to doubt the evidence of the two people that you have heard from.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Graeme<\/p>\n

World<\/p>\n

Graeme Dott \u2018knew what he wanted me to do\u2019, alleged abuse victim tells court<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI suggest to you that you have really been given no reason to doubt what they have said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dott\u2019s lawyer, Euan Dow, is due to give his closing speech to the jury on Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n

The trial, before judge Lord Harrower, continues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former snooker world champion Graeme Dott \u201csubjected young children to the worst kind of abuse\u201d, a lawyer has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":600336,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[61,60,112],"class_list":["post-600335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=600335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/600336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=600335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=600335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=600335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}