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 good friends 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 raided.


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


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


In a joint statement agreed by the Crown and defence legal representatives, it was verified 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 number of monetary deals in the hours before the match in July 2019.


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


Suspicious wagering patterns


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


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


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


The Scottish Football Association actioned in to produce an efficiency review of Mr Hester during the match after being alerted about suspicious betting patterns on the video game.


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


Hester said: "Do you understand what would be much easier? I know what you are discussing. 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 cash, that's what occurred.


"I was booked in a game and my pals gave me cash for it - ₤ 2,500."


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


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


The charge alleges the 4 guys received ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, which ₤ 13,583.32 of it was gotten as unlawful profits.


An alternate variation of the charge declares they cheated at betting by placing 5 bets on Mr Hester being booked and that he was shown a yellow card for a foul, resulting in them wrongly obtaining ₤ 13,583.32 in profits.


The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.


Montrose