Elgin City footballer accused of match wagering fraud charge

7 March 2023

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

Elgin City striker Kane Hester was found with the cash when his family home was robbed.

He denies backing himself to get scheduled during a match against Hibs as part of a scheme with 3 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 selected up a yellow card throughout the yohaig code very first half of the Scottish League Cup video game.

It likewise verified that the 3 other accused had actually undertaken a number of monetary transactions in the hours before the match in July 2019.

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

Suspicious betting patterns

Mr Duncan stated it was concurred as reality that Mr Myres had paid cash into Mr Soutar's account and likewise into an account coming from Mr Parrott.

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

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

The Scottish Football Association actioned in to produce an efficiency review of Mr Hester throughout the match after being alerted 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 knew what they were there for and would take them to the cash.

Hester stated: "Do you understand what would be easier? I understand 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 bet9ja's welcome offer you the cash, that's what happened.

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

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

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

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

An alternate version of the charge declares they cheated at gambling by positioning 5 bets on Mr Hester being reserved and that he was shown a yellow card for a nasty, causing them wrongly obtaining ₤ 13,583.32 in jackpots.

The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.

Montrose