Stephen Lee handed 12-YEAR ban from snooker after being found guilty of seven match-fixing charges

The former world No. 5 will not be able to return to the sport until October 2024 but has confirmed he will appeal the verdict

Snooker cheat Stephen Lee finds himself an outcast from the game today – despite vowing to fight his 12-year match-fixing ban.

The former world No.5 was found guilty of seven charges by snooker’s governing body and hammered with the sport’s longest ban.

The suspension for Lee, who must also pay £40,000 costs, will end on October 12, 2024 – his 50th birthday.

Until then, he is banned from any match ­sanctioned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.

The 38-year-old, from Wiltshire, must submit any appeal within a ­fortnight.

He hit out: “I’m absolutely ­devastated. I’ve done nothing wrong. It’s just ­absolutely outrageous.”

Lee was found by an independent tribunal to have fixed seven matches in 2008 and 2009, deliberately losing against Ken Doherty and Marco Fu and agreeing to lose first frames against Stephen Hendry and Mark King.

Lee also lost by a pre-arranged score to Neil Robertson and to Mark Selby, as well as a first-round World Championship match to Ryan Day.

There is no suggestion any of his opponents were complicit in his activity.

Tribunal chairman Adam Lewis QC revealed three groups of gamblers made a total profit of nearly £100,000 from betting on Lee’s matches.

World No.3 Judd Trump said: “Anything over 10 years was right. It sends out a strong message to everyone.”

And World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn added: “I don’t see him finding any way back.”