Stephen Lee - the verdict

Snooker player Stephen Lee, 38, of Trowbridge, Wiltshire has been banned for 12 years after being found guilty of seven match-fixing charges and has also been told to pay £40,000 costs.

 The former world number five cannot play in any game sanctioned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). He denied the allegations, which included a match at the World Snooker Championship in 2009, and intends to appeal.

Snooker's governing body says it is " the worst case of corruption" it has ever seen, and the longest ban imposed on a player by the organisation.  "The WPBSA has a zero tolerance approach to match fixing and this is further evidence of our uncompromising approach to dealing with such issues," said a spokesman.
The ban is calculated from 12 October 2012, when an interim suspension was imposed, and means Lee will not be able to compete as a professional snooker player before 12 October 2024, the date of his 50th birthday.

Stephen Lee - match fixing

Former world number five Stephen Lee must wait until today to discover his sentence for snooker match-fixing.  A hearing to consider punishment took place yesterday for what the sport's governing body has described as "the worst case of corruption" it has seen

Lee was found guilty of seven match-fixing charges following an independent tribunal chaired by Adam Lewis QC.

 
Stephen Lee seen at the 2012 World Championship match with Andrew Higginson.  See more at http://www.peverilphoto.com/section665568_479371.html