Shock as cricketing great Stuart MacGill avoids jail over drug deal
Cricket great Stuart MacGill has been spared jail over his role in facilitating a $330,000 drug deal underneath his Sydney North Shore restaurant, completing his 'fall from grace'.
Judge Nicole Noman sentenced MacGill, 54, to a one-year-and-10-month intensive corrections order, described his offending as a 'colossal lapse of judgment'.
MacGill was found guilty by a District Court jury of helping to set up, and being present at, a meeting between the man and a street-level drug dealer, who can only be known as Person A, underneath his Neutral Bay restaurant in April 2021.
MacGill had claimed he simply introduced the two men and played no part in a later drug deal - however that version of events was rejected by the jury during his eight-day trial earlier this year.
MacGill was in March found guilty by a jury of one count of taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug.
He was found not guilty of the more serious charge of taking part in the supply of a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
MacGill's lawyers tendered a character reference from former Test captain Steve Waugh during sentencing proceedings on Friday.
Former Australian Cricketer Stuart MacGill has avoided being sent to jail. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard.
During his trial, the crown alleged that Person A - who was MacGill's regular cocaine dealer - and the other man - came to an agreement to exchange $330,000 for 1kg of cocaine.
MacGill told the court he regularly purchased half a gram of cocaine from Person A for $200.
Judge Noman told the court on Friday that the jury must have found it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that MacGill knew the deal was for a kilo of cocaine.
She said that during his evidence, Mr A said he made references to a 'brick' - which was an accepted term within the drug industry for one kilogram of the drug.
Judge Noman also said the jury accepted it could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt he had a knowledge of the quantity of the drug being exchanged by the two men.
During the trial, the court was told that in April 2021, MacGill complained to Person A about the quality of his product while telling him that the man could 'get good gear'.
Crown prosecutor Gabrielle Steedman told the court that MacGill had acted as a go-between before setting up a meeting between the pair underneath Aristotle's restaurant, which MacGill ran with his partner Maria O'Meagher. Ms O'Meagher is not accused of any wrongdoing.
According to the crown case, MacGill stood metres away during the meeting.
It was not alleged that MacGill was present when the drug exchange later took place in a park in Ashfield.
MacGill at Aristotle's restaurant. Picture: Instagram.
MacGill during his playing career.
MacGill said he was only briefly present during the meeting to introduce them before leaving.
Under cross examination, MacGill was asked about his motivation for introducing the two men and he was asked what he thought they had in common.
'Drugs. Full stop,' MacGill replied.
As part of his sentencing, MacGill will also be required to complete 495 hours of community service.
However, the jury rejected his version of events as he was found guilty.
More to come.
Steve Zemek
Court reporter
Steve Zemek began his career in his native Queensland before moving to Sydney with Australian Associated Press in 2014. He worked as an NRL journalist for five seasons, covering the game all over Australia and in New Zealand before making a career pivot towards court reporting in 2019. He joined NCA NewsWire in mid 2020 as a Sydney-based court reporter where he has covered some of the state's biggest cases.
@stevezemek
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