No ‘frame fix’ charges for Maguire and Burnett

The Procurator Fiscal at Hamilton has confirmed that there is insufficient evidence to justify a criminal prosecution in relation to the match between the pair on 15 December, 2008.

World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn has welcomed the news, and admitted his frustration at the length of time it has taken for this conclusion to be reached.

World Snooker were alerted by bookmakers to unusual betting patterns before the match, with large sums being staked. The final result was 9-3 in Maguire’s favour after Burnett missed a black in the 12th frame which would have cut the deficit to 8-4. Both players have strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

Strathclyde Police decided there was a sufficient link for their force to launch an investigation into the match, which was played in Telford, before handing over their file to the Procurator Fiscal in April 2010.

The Crown Office have now handed the file over to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) to conduct their own inquiry, but Hearn was delighted for the players that prosecutors had decided that Maguire and Burnett had no case to answer.

He said: “I’m very pleased that there is no evidence to support legal action against the two players. I’m somewhat surprised that this matter has been hanging around since December 2008 and obviously the cloud of suspicion has been cast over the two players concerned, which must have been very difficult for them.

“It’s a shame it wasn’t resolved much more quickly, and presumably, at less cost to the