Elgin City footballer implicated of match betting scams charge

7 March 2023

A Scottish league footballer accused of hatching a plot with good friends 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 household home was robbed.

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

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

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

It likewise validated that the 3 other accused had undertaken a variety of financial transactions in the yohaig code hours before the match in July 2019.

Fiscal depute Stewart Duncan read 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 agreed as truth 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 been put on Mr Hester getting reserved and the bookmaker had actually paid out earnings at odds of 5-1.

Mr Duncan said it was concurred 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 a performance evaluation of Mr Hester during the match after being alerted about suspicious betting patterns on the 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 cash.

Hester said: "Do you understand what would be much easier? I know what you are talking about. There's no point mucking you about.

"I have actually got the cash, it's at home. If I take you home and provide you the cash, that's what happened.

"I was reserved in a video game and my buddies offered me money for it - ₤ 2,500."

Mr Hester is alleged to have actually outlined 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 discovered in his bedside drawer.

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

An alternate version of the charge declares they cheated at gaming by placing five bets on Mr Hester being booked and that he was revealed a yellow card for a foul, causing them falsely getting ₤ 13,583.32 in profits.

The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, continues.

Montrose