Graeme Dott faces driving ban after speeding

Snooker star Graeme Dott has been banned from the roads for six months after being clocked speeding on a busy motorway.

Graeme Dott received three penalty points and a £100 fine for speeding, which under the 'totting-up' rules led to his six month disqualification from driving. Picture: Alistair Wilson/PA

Dott, 38, had been driving his Audi Q7 at 62 mph when he was picked up by average speed cameras on the M74 southbound near Daldowie, Lanarkshire.

They have been installed as part of a £500m upgrade to the M74, M8 and M73 and are used to enforce the new speed limit of 50mph.

Dott, of Larkhall, had earlier appeared at Hamilton Justice of the Peace Court and admitted he had been speeding in August last year.

However, the offence meant he would be banned from the roads as it took him over the 12 penalty point threshold.

The law states that any driver with 12 or more points is automatically disqualified from driving.

Dott had asked for an exceptional hardship hearing to be heard in a bid to keep him on the roads but later announced he would not be going ahead with it.

Yesterday when he appeared for sentencing, he was banned for six months and fined £100.

Depute fiscal Laura Pigeon said: “The time was 1.25pm.

“The accused was observed travelling at a speed of 62 mph in 50 mph zone.

“A fixed penalty was issued but the accused failed to comply.”

Lawyer Rosemary Roberts said: “He is a married man with two children.

“It had been quiet on the road and due to the manner of his driving, he had assumed it was a motorway and thought it was strange there was a 50 mph limit.

“However he fully accepts the restrictions are in place for a reason.

“He is a professional sports person and would be in a position to pay a monetary penalty.”

JP Ross Milligan said: “I’m going to impose the standard fixed penalty for this which is £100 and three penalty points.

“But because of totting up you will be disqualified from driving for a period of six months.”

Dott refused to comment and left in a taxi.

Rangers fan Dott won the 2006 world final and later paraded the trophy at Ibrox ahead of the first game of the season against Hearts.

He was also runner up at the event in 2004 and 2010.

As well as playing the game professionally, he also now works as a snooker coach.

Dott also faced a battle with depression in 2007 which led to him sliding down the world rankings and losing 15 professional matches in a row leading to him slipping out of the top 16.

He is currently ranked 24 in the world and crashed out of the recent world championships in the first round after defeat to Mark Williams.

In 2011, he released his autobiography called ‘Frame of Mind: The Autobiography of the Snooker World Champion’.

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