Scots snooker stars could face game charges

TWO snooker stars were today referred to prosecutors over betting patterns during a UK Championship match.

• Stephen Maguire (left) and Jamie Burnett

Stephen Maguire, 29, and Jamie Burnett, 34, were referred to the procurator fiscal with three other men.

Strathclyde Police's economic crime unit spent 17 months investigating claims linked to the result of a game between the two Scots in Telford on December 14 last year.

The procurator fiscal at Hamilton will now decide whether charges should be brought.

The first-round match, which was subject to investigations by World Snooker and the Gambling Commission, was won 9-3 by Maguire.

Maguire, ranked number two in the world, won the match after Burnett failed to pot a black ball that would have reduced his score to 8-4.

Before the match, World Snooker was contacted by bookmakers reporting suspicious betting patterns on the outcome.

They said there was heavy gambling on a 9-3 scoreline – provoking suspicion from bookmakers.

The pair were questioned by police in August last year but later released without charge.

Both men strenuously denied any wrongdoing and have pledged to co-operate with any investigations.

A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: "Five males aged 35, 34, 31, 31 and 29 are the subject of a police report that is being submitted to the Procurator Fiscal at Hamilton.

"It is in relation to the alleged irregular betting patterns associated with the snooker match involving Jamie Burnett and Stephen Maguire at the Maplins UK Championship on December 14 2008."

Maguire is from Glasgow and turned professional in 1998. He won two ranking titles in the 2007/08 season – the Northern Ireland Trophy and the China Open.

Burnett, ranked 40th, lives in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire.