Elgin City Footballer Accused Of Match Betting Fraud Charge

7 March 2023
ShareSave


A Scottish league footballer implicated of hatching a plot with good friends 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 money when his family home was robbed.


He denies backing himself to get scheduled throughout a match against 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 attorneys, it was verified that Mr Hester had gotten a yellow card throughout the first half of the Scottish League Cup video game.


It also verified that the 3 other had carried out a number of monetary transactions 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 actually gone on trial.


Suspicious wagering patterns


Mr Duncan said it was agreed as fact that Mr Myres had paid money into Mr Soutar's account and also into an account coming from Mr Parrott.


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


Mr Duncan stated it was agreed that mix bets - including Mr Hester getting a yellow card - were likewise placed and won by members of the accused group.


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


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


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


"I've got the money, it's at home. If I take you home and give you the cash, that's what took place.


"I was scheduled in a game and my friends offered me money for it - ₤ 2,500."


Mr Hester is declared to have actually plotted before the match with 3 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 declares the 4 guys got ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, and that ₤ 13,583.32 of it was acquired as unlawful winnings.


An alternate variation of the charge alleges they cheated at gaming by positioning 5 bets on Mr Hester being reserved and that he was shown a yellow card for a foul, causing them wrongly obtaining ₤ 13,583.32 in profits.


The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.


Montrose