Australian former cricketer Stuart MacGill. (FILE)
Former Australian cricketer Stuart MacGill is amid allegations of a large-scale cocaine deal in Australia as told to Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court earlier this week. MacGill, who played in 44 Test matches for Australia and had picked up 208 wickets, is currently facing trial in the court on the allegations of him facilitating a meeting and a drug deal between a street level dealer and his brother-in-law, as reported by news.com.au earlier this week.
It happens three years after MacGill was kidnapped by some goons on April 14, 2021 followed by six men still under trial for the kidnapping and Macgill on being charged for the allegations of being involved in a large-scale cocaine deal. The hearing, which is expected to last for five to seven days, started on Tuesday in Sydney on MacGill’s alleged role in the drug deal.
The court of Judge Nicole Noman was told that MacGill is alleged to have facilitated the supply of one Kg of cocaine in the suburb of Neutral Bay, a locality on Sydney’s lower north shore on or around April 8, 2021. As per Australian media, Crown prosecutor Gabrielle Steadman told the jury that the former Test star was a regular cocaine user at the time of incident and was allegedly introduced Person A, from whom he regularly bought cocaine, to his brother-in-law Marino Sotiropolous, for the alleged purpose of supplying the drug dealer with a kilogram of cocaine worth 330,000 Australian dollars. The jury was told that Macgill was in a relationship with Mario O’Meagher, sister of Sotiropoulos, with whom MacGill ran restaurant Aristotle’s in the area. The jury was told that MacGill regularly organised meetings between the pair and MacGill had allegedly complained about the quantity of cocaine Person A was selling him and said his brother-in-law could get better drugs in a large quantity. Steadman told the jury that the charge against MacGill only related the former Australian star setting up a meeting between the pair for the cocaine to be exchanged.
“The accused facilitated the meeting so that Person A could be supplied with cocaine,” Steadman told the Jury as reported by Australian Associated Press (AAP).
AAP also reported that Person A allegedly decided to set up another meeting in which he planned to rip off the suppliers by using a fake bundle of cash. As per AAP, the jury was told that there was no dispute that MacGill was kidnaped by several men on April 14, 2021 and was later stripped and beaten. According to AAP, MacGill’s Defence barrister Thos Hodgson said MacGill maintained he simply introduced Person A and Sotiropoulos and had no further involvement in what occurred between them.
In 2021, MacGill had talked about the alleged incident. “I know I’ve done nothing wrong,” MacGill told A Current Affair in 2021.
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