Six-month ban for Higgins

John Higgins has been handed a six-month suspension and fined £75,000 after admitting "intentionally giving the impression to others that (he was) agreeing to act in breach of the betting rules" and failing to report the matter to World Snooker.

The more serious charges of "agreeing or offering" to accept bribes and "agreeing to engage in corrupt or fraudulent conduct" were withdrawn by the association following the two-day hearing in London.

Higgins was videoed agreeing to throw frames of snooker by undercover journalists at a meeting in Kiev, but had argued that he never intended to go through with the claims.

World Snooker agreed to drop two of the charges after accepting Higgins' version of events, as the Scottish cueman claimed that he only played along with the undercover journalists in order to get out of the meeting as soon as possible.

Handing out the punishment, Mr Ian Mill QC said that a six-month ban for Higgins and £75,000 fine were appropriate, and since he has been suspended since May he can return to snooker on November 1.

Charges

Higgins' manager Pat Mooney also had two charges dropped and also admitted the two other charges, but in summing up Mill laid the blame at his door - saying he led Higgins to the meetings without telling him that match fixing would be on the agenda.

Mooney has been banned from taking any part in snooker for life, with Mill commenting in his judgement: "I was unimpressed by Mr Mooney as a witness and I found much of his account highly implausible."

After the hearing concluded, Higgins made a statement screened on Sky Sports News voicing his relief at the major charges being dropped.

"I welcome today's judgement following an exhaustive enquiry into allegations against me by a tabloid newspaper," said Higgins.

"I am pleased that the WPBSA and Sports Resolutions have concluded that I was not guilty of any dishonesty and had no intention of fixing a match and no intention of doing anything corrupt.

"The statement I made in May immediately after the newspaper accusation was 100 percent true then as it is 100 percent true today

"I've never been involved in any form of snooker match fixing. In my 18 years playing professional snooker I've never intentionally missed a shot never mind intentionally lost a frame or match.

"If I'm guilty of anything it's naivety in trusting those who I believed were working in the best interests of snooker and myself. I admit that I should have informed the WPBSA of the events immediately on my return from Kiev.

"This has been a traumatic time for me and those close to me. It's been made all the more hurtful by the knowledge that I never have and never would fix a snooker match."