A cheat cleverly tricked a betting shop computer i

A cheat cleverly tricked a betting shop computer into
recording his winning selection after the race result was known,
a jury heard today (Monday).

Gary Clancy, 30, won pnds stlng 348 from a pnds stlng
three bet by outsmarting the betting shop computing system, said
prosecutor Mr Andrew Coleman.

On November 19, last year, at the William Hill shop in
Upper Ground, Southwark, se London, he deliberately selected on
a betting card a non-runner at Ascot racecourse.

After the cashier put the card through the computer,
which recorded the exact time of processing, he deliberately
drew her attention to his apparent error but asking the odds of
the horse, Inner London Crown Court heard.

When she realised Clancy had chosen a non-runner she
allowed him to make a new selection on the card.

He then stalled the cashier long enough for a greyhound
race, lasting only 30 seconds, to be run and won, counsel
alleged.

Clancy re-submitted his card with the winning result of
the dog race.

The computer accepted the card because the initial
processing time stamped on it was before the race, the jury
heard.

The defendant left the shop.

He returned later that
afternoon and collected his pds stlng 348 prize for ‘selecting’
the first, second and third dogs past the post.

The bet, known as a tri-cast, cost him just pds stlng
three.

The punter repeated the scam the next day on November
20, last year, at a William Hill shop in Abbey Street, Southwark
the court heard.

However, shop staff were suspicious and alerted police,
the court heard.

When co-defendant Abdullah Mustafa, 40, returned later
that afternoon to allegedly collect the winning cash on Clancy’s
behalf, Mustafa was arrested.

Police also arrested Clancy, who was in the shop at the
time.

‘The Crown say that Mustafa must have known that it was
a cheating bet and therefore must have helped Clancy attempt to
obtain that money,’ said Mr Coleman.

Clancy, unemployed, of Latimer House, Beaconsfield Road,
Walworth, se London denies obtaining property by deception and
attempting to obtain property by deception.

Mustafa, unemployed, of Claydon Estate, Deacon Way,
Walworth, denies attempting to obtain property by deception.

The trial continues.

ends