Elgin City Footballer Accused Of Match Betting Fraud Charge

7 March 2023
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A Scottish league footballer implicated of hatching a plot with pals to defraud a bookie had more than ₤ 2,000 in his bedside drawer, a trial heard.


Elgin City striker Kane Hester was found with the cash when his household home was raided.


He denies backing himself to get booked during a match versus Hibs as part of a plan with three others to defraud Bet365.


Findlay Soutar, Calvin Parrott and Brodie Myres likewise deny the charge.


In a joint declaration agreed by the Crown and defence legal representatives, it was confirmed that Mr Hester had actually picked up a during the first half of the Scottish League Cup game.


It also verified that the three other implicated had carried out a number of monetary deals in the hours before the match in July 2019.


Fiscal depute Stewart Duncan checked out the declaration to jurors at Dundee Sheriff Court where the accused, all from Montrose, have gone on trial.


Suspicious wagering patterns


Mr Duncan stated it was agreed as truth that Mr Myres had actually paid cash into Mr Soutar's account and also into an account belonging to Mr Parrott.


He stated bets worth thousands of pounds had actually been put on Mr Hester getting reserved and the bookie had actually paid out winnings at chances of 5-1.


Mr Duncan said it was concurred that mix bets - including Mr Hester getting a yellow card - were also put and won by members of the implicated group.


The Scottish Football Association stepped in to produce an efficiency evaluation of Mr Hester during the match after looking out about suspicious betting patterns on the video game.


The court was revealed footage of Hester's home being raided and the footballer telling officers he understood what they were there for and would take them to the cash.


Hester stated: "Do you know what would be much easier? I understand what you are speaking about. There's no point mucking you about.


"I have actually got the cash, it's at home. If I take you home and give you the money, that's what happened.


"I was booked in a video game and my buddies provided me money for it - ₤ 2,500."


Mr Hester is declared to have plotted before the match with three others to place a series of bets on him being booked by the referee.


The court heard ₤ 2,400 was later on discovered in his bedside drawer.


The charge alleges the four males got ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, which ₤ 13,583.32 of it was acquired as unlawful earnings.


An alternate version of the charge declares they cheated at gambling by placing five bets on Mr Hester being reserved and that he was shown a yellow card for a nasty, resulting in them falsely obtaining ₤ 13,583.32 in profits.


The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.


Montrose