Elgin City Footballer Accused Of Match Betting Fraud Charge

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


Elgin City striker Kane Hester was discovered with the cash when his household home was robbed.


He denies backing himself to get reserved throughout a match against Hibs as part of a plan with three others to defraud Bet365.


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


In a joint statement concurred by the Crown and defence attorneys, it was confirmed that Mr Hester had actually gotten a yellow card throughout the very first half of the Scottish League Cup video game.


It also validated that the 3 other implicated had actually carried out a variety of monetary transactions in the hours before the match in July 2019.


Fiscal depute Stewart Duncan read the statement to jurors at Dundee Sheriff Court where the accused, all from Montrose, have actually gone on trial.


Suspicious betting patterns


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


He worth thousands of pounds had actually been put on Mr Hester getting booked and the bookmaker had actually paid winnings at chances of 5-1.


Mr Duncan said it was agreed that combination bets - consisting of Mr Hester getting a yellow card - were likewise put and won by members of the accused group.


The Scottish Football Association stepped in to produce a performance evaluation of Mr Hester during the match after looking out about suspicious wagering patterns on the game.


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


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


"I've got the cash, it's at home. If I take you home and provide you the cash, that's what happened.


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


Mr Hester is alleged to have outlined before the match with 3 others to position a series of bets on him being reserved by the referee.


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


The charge alleges the 4 males got ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, and that ₤ 13,583.32 of it was obtained as unlawful payouts.


An alternate version of the charge declares they cheated at gaming by placing five bets on Mr Hester being scheduled and that he was shown a yellow card for a nasty, causing them wrongly obtaining ₤ 13,583.32 in payouts.


The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.


Montrose