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 money when his family home was robbed.


He denies backing himself to get booked throughout a match versus Hibs as part of a scheme with 3 others to defraud Bet365.


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


In a joint statement concurred by the Crown and defence legal representatives, it was validated that Mr Hester had actually chosen up a yellow card throughout the very first half of the Scottish League Cup game.


It also confirmed that the three other accused had actually undertaken a variety of financial 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 implicated, all from Montrose, have gone on trial.


Suspicious betting patterns


Mr Duncan said it was agreed as reality that Mr Myres had into Mr Soutar's account and also into an account belonging to Mr Parrott.


He said bets worth thousands of pounds had actually been positioned on Mr Hester getting reserved and the bookmaker had paid out profits at odds of 5-1.


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


The Scottish Football Association stepped in to produce a performance review of Mr Hester throughout the match after being signaled about suspicious wagering patterns on the video game.


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


Hester stated: "Do you know what would be simpler? 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 offer 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 plotted before the match with 3 others to put a series of bets on him being scheduled by the referee.


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


The charge declares the 4 males got ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, and that ₤ 13,583.32 of it was acquired as illegal winnings.


An alternate version of the charge alleges they cheated at gaming by putting five bets on Mr Hester being booked which he was revealed a yellow card for a foul, resulting in them wrongly obtaining ₤ 13,583.32 in payouts.


The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.


Montrose