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 buddies to defraud a bookie had more than ₤ 2,000 in his bedside drawer, a trial heard.


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


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


Findlay Soutar, Calvin Parrott and Brodie Myres also deny 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 during the first half of the Scottish League Cup game.


It likewise verified that the 3 other implicated had actually carried out a variety of monetary transactions 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 gone on trial.


Suspicious wagering patterns


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


He said bets worth thousands of pounds had actually been placed on Mr Hester getting booked and the bookie had paid profits at odds of 5-1.


Mr Duncan said it was concurred that combination bets - consisting of Mr Hester getting a yellow card - were likewise placed 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 looking out about suspicious betting patterns on the game.


The court was shown video footage of home being robbed and the footballer telling officers he understood what they were there for and would take them to the cash.


Hester stated: "Do you know what would be much easier? I know 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 give you the money, that's what happened.


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


Mr Hester is alleged to have plotted before the match with 3 others to position a series of bets on him being reserved by the referee.


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


The charge alleges the four men got ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, which ₤ 13,583.32 of it was obtained as illegal earnings.


An alternate version of the charge declares they cheated at gaming by placing five bets on Mr Hester being scheduled and that he was shown a yellow card for a foul, leading to them falsely obtaining ₤ 13,583.32 in winnings.


The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.


Montrose