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Snooker legend Jimmy White once took his dead brother on a pub crawl

Snooker legend Jimmy White once took his dead brother on a pub crawl

The snooker legend wanted to spend more time with his brother Martin

Grief is a difficult thing, and can make you do strange things.

In 1996, Jimmy White lost his brother Martin after he was diagnosed with cancer.

Known for his wild lifestyle of drink, drugs and gambling at the time, the snooker legend was out at the pub the night before the funeral and decided he wanted to spend more time with him.

But rather than sharing a toast with his family over the coffin, as mourners often do, White thought it would be better to steal his brother's body and bring it to the pub.

Writing in his book, 'Second Wind', the 60-year-old said: "We were so sad. We'd been drinking in the pub the night before the funeral and the bill came to £4,600. It was a proper drink. We were all crying and so I told my sister we were going to get Martin.

Jimmy White stole his brother's body from a funeral parlour and took him to the pub.
PA Images/Alamy

"I kicked the door of the undertakers and the lock fell off. Just like that, it opened! I went in, there was no alarm.

"He was there, in his suit, so I phoned a driver and we took him out and carried on drinking. We felt we had to spend more time with him.

"We were crying, laughing, crying, laughing. It went on for about five hours. The driver going back realised my brother wasn't alive, so he refused to take us.

"We had to get a taxi. On the way, the next driver looked in the mirror and said: "He don't look too well."

"We put him back and then the police came. They sympathised with me, there was no damage done. We lost his hat somewhere, but no charges followed."

The snooker legend has been open about his battle with drink and drugs.
PA Images/Alamy

He added: "That's all right, he would have laughed, too. It's a good memory of a sad time in my life."

And while some may think it's 'evil' to take a dead body out tot the pub, White said it 'felt right'.

He said later: "I apologised to his family for it, but at the time, it didn’t feel wrong and I don’t regret it at all.”

White has been open about his battle with drink and drugs during his glittering snooker career.

Speaking previously about it, he said he struggled to cope with the money and fame that came his way.

"My preparation [for snooker matches] was pretty bad,” he said. "For certain tournaments, I didn’t get myself ready. I was out binging on cocaine — it cost me tournament after tournament. I’m not taking away anything from anyone who beat me — good luck to them. But I wasn’t in the right frame of mind.

“Drink was my biggest problem and if I took cocaine, I was able to drink more.

"And they both ruin your life, they make you someone you’re not."

Featured Image Credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo/REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: Sport, UK News