The jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of former snooker world champion Graeme Dott, who is accused of child sex abuse.
The 49-year-old is accused of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards two primary school age children. The allegations span from 1993 to 1996 involving a girl, and 2006 to 2010 involving a boy, both in the Glasgow area.
Dott has denied the two charges against him. The jury retired to consider its verdict shortly before 11am on Monday.
Judge's instruction to the jury
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 told them: “Please give the case full and careful consideration.”
During the trial, jurors heard from one of Dott’s alleged victims, a woman now in her 40s, who told the court Dott had sexually abused her on multiple separate occasions while she was a child. She said the alleged abuse had started with Dott “caressing” her bottom over her clothing while giving her a piggy back.
Allegations from two complainers
The woman also described an occasion when she said Dott suggested playing a “guessing game” where she had to guess what he was doing. She told the court she lay down and he exposed himself to her and then began touching her with different parts of his body, including his penis. The woman told the court that Dott told her not to tell anyone he was sexually abusing her.
The second alleged victim, a man who is now in his late 20s, said he was sexually abused by Dott on multiple occasions, with the snooker player touching him inappropriately, kissing him, and performing sexual acts. He told the court a lot of the abuse took place while he was in a shower, when Dott would come in either partly or completely undressed.
Dott's denials and closing arguments
Giving evidence last week, Dott said there was “absolutely no way” he sexually abused two children. Under cross-examination by prosecutor Lindsey Dalziel, Dott denied being attracted to the girl when she was young, calling the idea “disgusting”. When Ms Dalziel put it to Dott that he touched the first alleged victim and told her what to do, he denied the allegation and called it “lies”. Speaking about the second victim, Dott said he was “never in my company” and denied all allegations of abuse.
The trial began on Tuesday August 18. In her closing speech on Friday, Ms Dalziel called on the jury to find Dott guilty of both charges. She said: “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.”
In his closing speech, Dott’s lawyer, Euan Dow, said there were flaws in the evidence both alleged victims had provided to the court, and he invited jurors to clear his client of both charges. “You would need to hold the complainers as credible and reliable, that you could depend upon them,” he said. “In my submission to you, you should not accept either as credible or reliable.”
