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 family home was robbed.
He denies backing himself to get reserved 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 agreed by the Crown and defence attorneys, it was validated that Mr Hester had chosen up a yellow card during the very first half of the Scottish League game.
It also verified that the three other implicated had carried out a variety of financial deals 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 betting patterns
Mr Duncan said it was concurred as truth 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 put on Mr Hester getting reserved and the bookmaker had actually paid out payouts at odds of 5-1.
Mr Duncan stated it was agreed that combination bets - including Mr Hester getting a yellow card - were also positioned and won by members of the implicated group.
The Scottish Football Association actioned in to produce an efficiency review of Mr Hester during the match after looking out about suspicious betting patterns on the video game.
The court was shown 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 money.
Hester said: "Do you know what would be much easier? 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 provide you the cash, that's what occurred.
"I was booked in a game and my buddies offered me money for it - ₤ 2,500."
Mr Hester is alleged to have actually plotted before the match with 3 others to place a series of bets on him being reserved by the referee.
The court heard ₤ 2,400 was later found in his bedside drawer.
The charge declares the four guys got ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, which ₤ 13,583.32 of it was obtained as unlawful earnings.
An alternate version of the charge declares they cheated at gaming by positioning 5 bets on Mr Hester being reserved and that he was revealed a yellow card for a nasty, leading to them incorrectly acquiring ₤ 13,583.32 in earnings.
The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.
Montrose