Elgin City player Kane Hester denies match betting fraud charge

The game took place at Borough Briggs in July 2019

An Elgin City footballer has denied conspiring with three others to defraud a betting company out of £13,583.

Striker Kane Hester, 25, denies deliberately stamping on a Hibs player during a cup match so he would get booked by referee Willie Collum.

He is alleged to have conspired with three other men from Montrose to place a series of bets on him being booked.

The charge alleges Mr Hester, Findlay Soutar, Calvin Parrot and Brodie Myers obtained unlawful winnings of £13,583.

They are alleged to have conspired to bet on Mr Hester being booked almost a week before the Betfred League Cup tie between Elgin City and Hibs on 26 July 2019.

They deny forming a fraudulent scheme to obtain money "by placing bets that Kane Hester would receive a booking by the referee during the match" at Borough Briggs Stadium in Elgin.

The charge alleges the four men received £17,333.32 in payments from Bet365 and alleges £13,583.32 was obtained as unlawful winnings.

The quartet are alleged to have agreed before the group stage match that "Kane Hester would purposely commit a foul during the course of the match and receive a booking from the referee."

They are alleged to have placed five separate bets on Mr Hester being booked, and he is alleged to have been shown a yellow card for stamping on a Hibs player.

An alternate version of the charge alleges they cheated at gambling by placing five bets on Mr Hester being booked and that he was shown a yellow card for a foul, leading to them falsely obtaining £13,583.32 in winnings.

The four men deny the charge and the case will call again later this year at Dundee Sheriff Court.