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 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 robbed.


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


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


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


It likewise validated that the 3 other implicated had actually undertaken a variety of financial 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 said it was as truth that Mr Myres had paid cash into Mr Soutar's account and likewise 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 bookmaker had actually paid out winnings at odds of 5-1.


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


The Scottish Football Association actioned in to produce an efficiency evaluation of Mr Hester throughout the match after being notified about suspicious wagering patterns on the game.


The court was shown video 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 said: "Do you understand what would be simpler? I know what you are talking about. There's no point mucking you about.


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


"I was scheduled in a video game and my friends provided me cash for it - ₤ 2,500."


Mr Hester is declared to have outlined 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 4 men received ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, which ₤ 13,583.32 of it was acquired as illegal earnings.


An alternate version of the charge alleges they cheated at gambling by placing five bets on Mr Hester being reserved which he was shown a yellow card for a foul, causing them wrongly obtaining ₤ 13,583.32 in winnings.


The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.


Montrose