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 to defraud a bookie 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 rejects backing himself to get reserved during a match against Hibs as part of a scheme with three others to defraud Bet365.


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


In a joint declaration concurred by the Crown and defence legal representatives, it was confirmed that Mr Hester had actually picked up a yellow card throughout the very first half of the Scottish League Cup game.


It also confirmed that the 3 other accused had actually carried out a number of financial transactions 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 accused, all from Montrose, have gone on trial.


Suspicious wagering patterns


Mr Duncan said it was concurred as reality that Mr Myres had paid cash 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 booked and the bookmaker had paid out profits at odds of 5-1.


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


The Scottish Football Association actioned in to produce a performance review of Mr Hester throughout the match after being signaled about suspicious wagering patterns on the game.


The court was shown footage of Hester's home being raided and the footballer telling officers he knew what they were there for and would take them to the cash.


Hester said: "Do you know what would be 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 provide you the cash, that's what occurred.


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


Mr Hester is alleged to have actually plotted before the match with three others to place a series of bets on him being scheduled by the referee.


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


The charge alleges the 4 guys got ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, and that ₤ 13,583.32 of it was acquired as unlawful jackpots.


An alternate version of the charge alleges they cheated at betting by putting 5 bets on Mr Hester being booked and that he was revealed a yellow card for a nasty, leading to them wrongly obtaining ₤ 13,583.32 in winnings.


The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.


Montrose