Mark King has been banned from snooker for five years after being found guilty of match fixing.
The former Northern Ireland Open champion has also been hit with a whopping £68,000 fine by an independent disciplinary committee.
King was initially suspended by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in March 2023 after suspicious betting patterns were reported on a match between the Englishman and Joe Perry earlier that year.
It was also alleged King fixed a match against John Higgins in December 2022, as well as providing inside information, of which he denied, but such charges were dismissed by the panel.
Neither Perry nor Higgins were accused of any wrongdoing.
King has until November 28 to appeal the decisions, which he initially denied during the case.
A statement from the WPBSA read: « The Independent Disciplinary Committee has delivered its decision on the case of the WPBSA and Mark King. He has been found guilty of one count of match fixing and one count of providing inside information on that match. He has been suspended from the sport for 5 years and to pay £68,299.50 in costs.
« On 18th March 2023 Mark King was suspended by the WPBSA after suspicious betting was reported on his match with Joe Perry played on 13th February 2023. The WPBSA supported by bet monitoring partner Sportradar and the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit at the Gambling Commission conducted a thorough investigation.
« After taking independent legal advice, the WPBSA decided that Mark King had a case to answer for fixing the outcome of the Perry match and his match against John Higgins played on 13th December 2022 and providing inside information on those matches that was used for betting. On 28th November 2023 his case was referred for a disciplinary hearing.
« Mark King denied the charges and his case was heard before an Independent Disciplinary Committee convened by Sport Resolutions. The hearing was Chaired by Graeme McPherson KC and took place in London between 7th – 9th May 2024. »
Reacting to the decision, WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said: « I have known Mark since he was young, he is a very experienced player who has enjoyed great success, and I am deeply saddened to read the finding in this case.
« However, the integrity of this sport will always be our number one priority.
« This case is testament to the fact that no stone will ever be left unturned in ensuring that the hundreds of millions of snooker fans worldwide, and our many global partners, can have full confidence in this incredible sport. »
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