Snooker star ‘sentenced to three years in jail for assault’ as statement issued | Other | Sport

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) have released a statement claiming that world No. 60 Michael White has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for “assault occasioning Actual Bodily Harm”. The former top-16 player has also had his profile page removed from their website.

The World Snooker Tour (WST), who were approached by Express Sport for comment, posted the WPBSA’s statement on their own website too.

Welshman White broke onto the snooker tour as a highly promising youngster, turning professional in 2007, but lost his tour card in 2020 before regaining professional status two years later.

The association’s statement read: “On 11th July 2024 Michael White was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment for assault occasioning Actual Bodily Harm on his then partner. The WPBSA does not tolerate such behaviour by a Member and has taken immediate action to remove Michael White as a Member of the WPBSA.

“The WPBSA had been monitoring the case and upon his sentence convened an emergency board meeting. A resolution was passed to cease Michael White’s Membership of the WPBSA with immediate effect.

“Therefore, Michael White will now be removed from the world ranking list and World Snooker Tour. Michael White has the right to appeal the decision of the Board within 21 days of the decision.”

White, 33, has previously discussed his battle with depression and alcohol, but in 2021 claimed that he had quit booze completely and had turned a corner.

“I’ve changed my whole lifestyle around basically, obviously from me going from top 16 to coming off the tour, there are reasons behind that,” he told the Metro.

“I’ve stopped drinking completely. To be honest I had a bit of a problem with alcohol. It stemmed from a lot of things really, I put a snooker room in my house, which wasn’t a great idea. I wasn’t practising for events, I was turning up, getting beat, going back and I was a bit depressed as well at the time. I was turning to drink, but I’m 11 weeks sober now.

“It probably started about two years ago and, to be honest, I turned up to a lot of tournaments where I hadn’t practised at all. My head wasn’t in a good place at all, I probably should have left snooker and sorted myself out properly. It crossed my mind, it got to the stage where my health was coming into it and my life, to be honest with you. I was drinking four or five days at a time, from morning to night.

“The turning point for me was when I left my mother’s house four years ago, I went and bought my house on my own and I had so much time on my hands. Before you know it, it catches up with you. I’m looking back and I think: ‘There’s no wonder that I am where I am now’. But I didn’t see it at the time.”