An Elgin City footballer has appeared in court in connection with an alleged £16,000 betting scam.
Kane Hester is charged with forming a fraudulent scheme with three others to receive a booking during a Scottish Cup game between his club and Hibernian last July.
Prosecutors say this led to a £16,000 pay-out by online gambling firm Bet365.
Hester, 24, Brodie Myers, 26, Calvin Parrott, 24, and Findlay Soutar, 23, all from Montrose, appeared on petition at Forfar Sheriff Court yesterday accused of obtaining money through the formation of a fraudulent scheme.
The petition alleges the scheme involved placing bets on Hester receiving a booking from the referee during the cup game at Elgin’s Borough Briggs Stadium on July 26 last year.
Prosecutors say between July 25 and August 2, the men agreed the footballer would purposely commit a foul, placed three separate bets on him receiving a booking and that Hester received a booking by stamping on the calf of an opponent.
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The petition alleges the yellow card Hester received led to a payout of approximately £16,000 in winnings from Bet365, which was obtained by fraud.
An alternative charge on the petition under the Gambling Act 2005 alleges the four accused cheated at gambling between July 25 and August 2 last year by placing three separate bets Hester would receive a booking and that the player intentionally stamped on the calf of a rival player, resulting in the five-figure winnings being paid out.
All four accused made no plea or declaration and were committed for further examination.
They were each granted bail. A further court date has not been set.
The Edinburgh club won the July 2019 cup tie 2-0 through goals by Joe Newell and Florian Kamberi.
Centre forward Hester joined Elgin City in January 2019 on a contract due to run to 2022.
He has made a total of 30 appearances for the club this season, the latest coming in their 3-2 home defeat to Stenhousemuir on Saturday.
