Graeme Dott’s name is trending again, but not for a snooker match. The Scottish former world champion was just found guilty of sexually abusing two children, and people are searching his name to understand who he is and what happened. Here is a clear, fact-checked look at his life, his career, and the case that has now defined it.
Quick answer: Graeme Dott is a Scottish former professional snooker player, the 2006 World Snooker Champion, who was convicted on 24 August 2026 of sexually abusing two children and is awaiting sentencing.
Background: Who Is Graeme Dott and Why Is He Being Searched?
Graeme Dott, born 12 May 1977 in Glasgow, Scotland, spent more than three decades as a professional snooker player. He turned professional in 1994 and became one of the sport’s most respected competitors during the mid-2000s, known for his defensive, grinding style of play. His biggest moment came in 2006, when he beat Peter Ebdon to win the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
For years, people searched his name for snooker facts: his ranking, his world title, his open battle with clinical depression, and his 2011 autobiography, Frame of Mind. That changed in 2025, when he was charged with historic child sex offences, and again on 24 August 2026, when a jury found him guilty. Search interest in “Graeme Dott Wikipedia” has spiked because people want to check the facts of the case against what they already knew about him as an athlete.
Latest Update
As of August 26, 2026, here is what’s currently known.
⚠️ Confirmed by multiple major outlets (Sky Sports, BBC, Al Jazeera, ABC News, RNZ, IBTimes UK): Graeme Dott, 49, was convicted by majority verdict on Monday, 24 August 2026, at the High Court in Glasgow, following a five-day trial. He was found guilty of two charges of “lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour” — one involving a girl, covering incidents alleged to have taken place between 1993 and 1996, and one involving a boy, covering incidents alleged to have taken place between 2006 and 2010. Dott denied the charges throughout the trial and maintained his innocence.
Both people affected are now adults. The woman, now in her 40s, and the man, now in his late 20s, gave evidence during the trial describing repeated abuse. Dott was suspended by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in April 2025, when the charges were first made public, and his professional ranking had already fallen outside the top 60 by the time of his conviction. Following the guilty verdict, the WPBSA revoked his membership of the sport entirely.
📅 Key date: Dott was ordered to be held in custody, and sentencing has been scheduled for 29 September 2026. Nothing about the sentence itself has been decided or confirmed yet — that will only be known after the September hearing.
A Police Scotland detective involved in the case, Gary Smillie, described Dott as “a dangerous individual” after the verdict was announced. There is no confirmed news beyond the conviction and the scheduled sentencing date as of this writing; any claims about the length of a sentence or further charges should be treated as unconfirmed until officially reported.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Dott was born in Glasgow and grew up on the Easterhouse housing estate, one of four children and the youngest son of John Dott and Susan Cartledge. He has three older brothers. His father, uncle, and grandfather all worked at the Yarrow Shipbuilders yard, and Dott has described his upbringing as a traditional working-class Glasgow family. He picked up the game at age eight after receiving a miniature snooker table as a Christmas present, and his maternal uncle later took him to local snooker clubs to practice on full-size tables. When he was 13, the family moved to the Dennistoun area of Glasgow, where he made his first century break and began competing in junior tournaments.
Career Path
Dott turned professional in 1994 and broke into the world’s top 16 by 2001. He reached his first World Championship final in 2004, losing 8–18 to Ronnie O’Sullivan. Two years later, he won the title outright, beating Peter Ebdon 18–14 in the 2006 final. He followed that with a second ranking title at the 2007 China Open and climbed to a career-high ranking of world number 2 in 2007–08.
Late in 2007, Dott began experiencing clinical depression, and his form suffered badly — he dropped to 28th in the world over the following two seasons before recovering to reach a third World Championship final in 2010, losing to Neil Robertson. He kept playing at a competitive level for well over a decade afterward, reaching another ranking final at the 2020 World Grand Prix. His ranking gradually settled in the 50s and 60s through the early 2020s. He was suspended by the WPBSA in April 2025 after being charged in the abuse case, and after the 2025–26 season ended with him outside the top 64, he dropped off the professional tour. His membership was formally revoked following his conviction in August 2026.
Age
Graeme Dott is 49 years old, having been born on 12 May 1977.
Religion
Spouse/Partner
Dott married Elaine Lambie in 2003; the two reportedly began their relationship when Elaine was a teenager. Elaine’s father, Alex Lambie, ran a snooker club and became an early mentor and career manager for Dott. The couple have two children together, a son named Lewis, born in 2004, and a daughter named Lucy, born in 2008, after an earlier miscarriage in 2007. Public reporting has not addressed the status of the marriage since the conviction, so any claims about a separation or divorce should be treated as unconfirmed unless directly reported by a credible outlet.
Net Worth
Parents
According to Wikipedia, Dott’s parents are John Dott and Susan Cartledge. Beyond their names and the fact that his father’s side of the family worked in shipbuilding, little else about them has been made public.
Height
Education
Dott was educated locally in Glasgow, attending Commonhead Primary School and then Lochend Secondary School, before turning his attention full-time to snooker as a teenager.
Hometown/State of Origin
Dott is from Glasgow, Scotland, specifically the Easterhouse estate, though some secondary sources list his birthplace as the town of Larkhall. Wikipedia’s sourced entry lists Glasgow, so that is treated as the more reliable figure here.
Official Social Media
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Graeme Dott |
| Date of Birth | 12 May 1977 (age 49) |
| Birthplace | Glasgow, Scotland (Easterhouse); Larkhall cited in some sources |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Former professional snooker player, coach |
| Professional Career | 1994 – 2026 |
| Biggest Title | 2006 World Snooker Championship |
| Highest Ranking | World No. 2 (2007–08) |
| Spouse | Elaine Lambie (m. 2003) |
| Children | Lewis (b. 2004), Lucy (b. 2008) |
| Current Legal Status | Convicted, 24 August 2026, of child sex abuse; sentencing 29 September 2026 |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Is Graeme Dott still a professional snooker player?
No. He fell off the professional tour after the 2025–26 season, and the WPBSA formally revoked his membership after his August 2026 conviction. His playing career is over.
What was Graeme Dott convicted of?
He was convicted of two charges of lewd, indecent, and libidinous behaviour toward two children — a girl, in incidents alleged between 1993 and 1996, and a boy, in incidents alleged between 2006 and 2010. A jury reached a majority guilty verdict on 24 August 2026.
When will Graeme Dott be sentenced?
Sentencing is scheduled for 29 September 2026 at the High Court in Glasgow. He is being held in custody until then. No sentence has been announced yet.
Is Graeme Dott married?
He has been married to Elaine Lambie since 2003, and the couple have two children together. There is no confirmed public reporting on the marriage’s status since his conviction.
How old is Graeme Dott?
He was born on 12 May 1977, which makes him 49 years old as of August 2026.
What did Graeme Dott achieve in snooker?
He won the 2006 World Snooker Championship and the 2007 China Open, reached three World Championship finals overall (2004, 2006, 2010), and hit a career-high ranking of world number 2 in 2007–08.
Why was Graeme Dott suspended before his trial?
The WPBSA suspended him from competition in April 2025, as soon as the criminal charges against him became public, stating it would be inappropriate to comment further while court proceedings were ongoing.
Wrap-Up
Graeme Dott’s story now runs in two very different directions at once. For twenty years, his name meant snooker: a World Championship trophy, a public battle with depression that he was unusually open about, and a career that lasted long enough to see him qualify for the Crucible well into his forties. That version of the story is well documented and easy to verify.
The second part of his story is the one dominating searches right now, and it is far more serious than a ranking slide or a lost final. A Scottish jury has found him guilty of abusing two children over a period spanning nearly two decades, and he is currently in custody awaiting sentencing next month. Readers searching his name deserve the plain facts of that conviction, not a softened version of it and not unverified rumor either.
Until sentencing takes place on 29 September 2026, the only confirmed facts are the ones laid out above: a guilty verdict on two charges, a revoked snooker membership, and a court date still to come. This article will only reflect a change in sentence, appeal, or other legal development once it is confirmed by a credible news source — not before.
Smith Andrew is the Founder and Editor of BiographyCabal. He researches, writes, and edits accurate, engaging, and well-researched biographies of celebrities, entrepreneurs, athletes, influencers, politicians, and other notable public figures. Committed to factual reporting and quality storytelling, Smith ensures every article is reader-focused, informative, and based on reliable sources, helping readers discover the lives, careers, and achievements of influential people around the world.