A disgraced UK soccer player took payments to help rig games for an international match-fixing syndicate because he was living a "slave-type existence" in Australia, his barrister says.
Nicholas McKoy, 28, was one of several Southern Stars players who co-operated with the syndicate to manipulate outcomes in the Victorian Premier League and net lucrative betting jackpots.
The midfielder helped to rig three matches during the 2013 season in exchange for payments totalling $5600.
Defence barrister Leonard Hartnett said McKoy moved from the UK to Australia with the best of intentions but took the payments when he ended up living hand-to-mouth.
"He was living in a slave-type existence," Mr Hartnett told Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.
The Southern Stars tanked in two of the fixed matches then restricted another opponent to a scrappy nil-all draw.
But despite their best efforts, the players still botched one match, losing 0-3 instead of 0-4 and infuriating the syndicate leaders.
McKoy was told by his superiors in the scam that such results would not be tolerated.
"The boss had lost a lot of money on games when we didn't pull the mission off," McKoy later told police.
"He said this was like life and death."
Mr Hartnett said McKoy was a small fish in the syndicate, who simply followed orders.
"He didn't rock the boat, he was aware of what was going on," Mr Hartnett said.
"His actions were at best taken not to disrupt the plan."
McKoy, of Berwick, has pleaded guilty to three counts of offering to engage in conduct to corrupt a betting outcome.
Mr Hartnett urged Magistrate Duncan Reynolds not to convict McKoy, saying he had hoped to avoid a life ban from soccer's governing body FIFA.
He said McKoy hoped to become involved with junior soccer leagues and was prepared to give presentations at schools to warn children of the dangers of match-fixing.
Mr Reynolds convicted McKoy and fined him $1500.
Along with McKoy, three other Southern Stars players have now been convicted and fined, with the club's coach, 37-year-old Zia Younan, receiving a four-month suspended jail term.
The syndicate's Australian boss, 46-year-old Segaran "Gerry" Subramaniam, was jailed for three years, two of which were suspended, in April.
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