Elgin City footballer accused of match betting fraud charge

7 March 2023

A Scottish league footballer implicated 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 money when his household home was robbed.

He denies backing himself to get booked throughout a match against Hibs as part of a plan with 3 others to defraud Bet365.

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

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

It also verified that the 3 other accused had actually undertaken a variety of financial deals in the yohaig code 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 gone on trial.

Suspicious wagering patterns

Mr Duncan said it was concurred as truth that Mr Myres had actually paid money into Mr Soutar's account and likewise into an account coming from Mr Parrott.

He said bets worth countless pounds had actually been positioned on Mr Hester getting scheduled and the bookmaker had actually paid winnings at odds of 5-1.

Mr Duncan stated it was agreed 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 stepped in to produce an efficiency review of Mr Hester during the match after being alerted about suspicious wagering patterns on the video 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 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 give you the money, that's what occurred.

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

Mr Hester is declared to have actually outlined before the match with 3 others to place a series of bets on him being scheduled by the referee.

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

the yohaig code charge alleges the four men got ₤ 17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 in 2019, and that ₤ 13,583.32 of it was obtained as illegal jackpots.

An alternate variation of the charge declares they cheated at betting by positioning 5 bets on Mr Hester being scheduled which he was revealed a yellow card for a foul, resulting in them wrongly getting ₤ 13,583.32 in earnings.

The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.

Montrose