WhatsApp messages expose how former Knox rugby star swindled $4.1 million from mate

Court documents have exposed how an investor used dodgy cheques, forged bank transfers and fake account balances to swindle millions.

EXCLUSIVE

A financial investor who swindled $4.1 million from his friend to fund his gambling habit used a web of fake cheques, phony bank transfers and forged trading accounts to run the elaborate scheme, court documents have revealed.

Former Knox rugby star Hamish McGilvray, 35, faced the NSW District Court on Friday after admitting to gambling away $4.18 million in just eight months which he had received from various investors from June 2020 to January 2021,

The investors were clients and family members of his mate of 20 years Matt Wilson – who had partnered with McGilvray in hopes of returning a profit.

Hamish McGilvray celebrating a win with the Knox Old Boys Rugby Club in 2019. Picture: Facebook

McGilvray’s wife Candace was in the courtroom on Friday, wiping away tears as he spoke to the court. Picture: Instagram

Mr Wilson, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, was a director at loan company Onyx Capital and sourced the majority of the clients from his job.

McGilvray told Mr Wilson he was “gifted” at online trading and convinced him to keep bringing him clients over a period of eight months.

It was only after Mr Wilson launched legal proceedings in early 2021 that the elaborate scam was exposed.

Court documents obtained by news.com.au detail just how far McGilvray went to keep the scam going, including forging bank accounts, transfers and writing fake cheques to Mr Wilson to convince him the trading was returning a profit.

At one point Mr Wilson tries to meet with him at a bank branch. He never showed up. Picture: Supplied

WhatsApp messages which detailed the lies. Picture: Supplied

He also used an elaborate web of lies in an effort to convince Mr Wilson his share of the “profits” would eventually come through, wrongfully blaming both the bank and trading platform XTrade for “f**king him around”.

In reality, McGilvray was using the money to make bets on “sports, horses and dogs” across his 10 different betting accounts, as well as high-risk, high-reward trades on online trading platform XTrade.

At one point, McGilvray even accused Mr Wilson of “betrayal” when he questioned why the funds he had promised to make weren’t coming through to him.

McGilvray accused Mr Wilson of “betrayal” after finding out he rang his father. Picture: Supplied

The WhatsApp messages were used as evidence. Picture: Supplied

“Hamo you are not acting like a mate. Period,” Mr Wilson wrote to him.

“I deadset raised millions from my clients, friends and myself and have a gentlemen’s agreement with you because we have known each other for 20 years and where I come from that stands for something.”

Court documents reveal Mr Wilson rang McGilvray’s father to tell him what was going on, with his former Knox schoolmate then going on the defensive.

“This was a huge betrayal for me mate. I’m thinking you probably won’t heard from me for a while I’ll let you know when everything is sorted in the next couple of days,” McGilvray sent Mr Wilson on WhatsApp.

McGilvray leaving court. Picture: News Corp Australia

McGilvray said he just “couldn’t stop” gambling. Picture: Supplied

“You’re getting your cash mate and will get it the moment I can get you a bank cheque. Otherwise please stop telling me what to do.”

On Friday, McGilvray told the court how he “honestly” thought at time he could fix the problem before he was found out.

“I just couldn’t stop,” he said.

“I had this deluded thinking that I could fix the problem … if a couple of things went my way, which obviously is ridiculous, but that was the state of mind I lived in for a long time.”

The court also heard how at one point, McGilvray also received $300,000 from his father to purchase property which he also used for gambling.

Despite giving him a chance to come clean, McGilvray continued with the scheme. Picture: Supplied

McGilvray continued with the scheme until Mr Wilson launched legal action in February 2021. Picture: Supplied

McGilvray told the court he is now in a gambling addict program which has “changed” his life.

“I’ve spend a lot of time thinking about it,” McGilvray told the court on Friday.

“It’s incredibly sad what I’ve done to him and to his family at that time. This was a very, very terrible thing that I did.”

The crown prosecutor argued that McGilvray’s scheme was “sophisticated” as it included falsified documents and bank statements which made Mr Wilson feel the investments were “going well”.

Judge Penny Hock told McGilvray that a custodial sentence – time in jail – was “inevitable”.

He has previously pleaded guilty to two charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

He will be sentenced on November 1.

Originally published as WhatsApp messages expose how former Knox rugby star swindled $4.1 million from mate