Cricketing great MacGill returns to court as he waits to learn his fate
Cricketing great Stuart MacGill will return to court on Friday as he gets set to learn whether he will be jailed over his role in facilitating a cocaine deal between a man and a street-level dealer.
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.
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. And in April 2021, MacGill complained to Person A about the quality of his product while telling him that the man could 'get good gear', the court was told.
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 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, but still faces the prospect of being jailed.
MacGill has been on bail since the guilty verdict and will appear in the Downing Centre District Court on Friday for a sentence hearing.
He is not expected to be sentenced on Friday, with both his defence and the crown prosecution to make submissions on what his sentence should be.
He is likely to be sentenced at a later date.
During his evidence during the eight-day trial, MacGill denied introducing the pair for the purposes of a large-scale drug deal.
He 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.
However, the jury rejected his version of events as he was found guilty.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

News.com.au
24 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Tradie hospitalised after becoming impaled on timber post at Toorak home
A tradie has suffered critical injuries after being impaled on a timber post at a construction site in an up-market Melbourne suburb. It's understood the construction worker, aged in his 30s, was standing on the roof of a property undergoing renovations on Irving Rd in Toorak about 7.15am on Tuesday when he fell. 'Firefighters arrived on scene to find a patient impaled by timber after a fall from a higher level,' a Fire Rescue Victoria spokesman told NewsWire The FRV, assisted by the High Angle Rescue Team, were forced to cut the timber post away to free the man and lay him on a flat surface. He suffered injuries to his upper body, an Ambulance spokesman told NewsWire. Ambulance treated the man and transported him to the Alfred Hospital in a critical condition. WorkSafe is investigating the incident.

ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Final text of Sydney woman stabbed to death read to court in first day of murder trial
A man who allegedly told a triple-0 operator he "put a knife in" his partner before she was found dead has pleaded not guilty to murder, and declined to give an opening address in his trial at which he is defending himself. Anthony Eriksen is accused of stabbing his long-term de facto partner Lisa Fenwick to death on April 9, 2023 at their unit in Sydney's south. The Crown prosecutor said Ms Fenwick's body was found in their Mascot bedroom with 18 stab wounds. Ms Fenwick was already dead when paramedics arrived at 6:15 pm, just 11 minutes after a triple-0 call made by Mr Eriksen. Police allegedly found Mr Eriksen with her blood on his wrist and right foot. The Crown's evidence includes CCTV footage proving they were the only two people in the unit at the time of death, and recordings of the triple-0 call made by Mr Eriksen. Mr Eriksen allegedly said to the emergency operator "we've got in an argument" and "I put a knife in her". When asked by the operator where he stabbed her, he allegedly said "just the upper the chest". "You've done more than one wound?", the emergency operator asked. "I don't know, three or something, I don't know," he allegedly replied. The Crown said an autopsy on Ms Fenwick's body revealed there were at least four sharp defects to the heart and four sharp defects to the aorta. The court also heard Ms Fenwick had three sharp defects to the right lung — one of the wounds going completely through the lung — a cut to the oesophagus, three sharp force injuries to the liver and damage to the main vein to and from the heart. Mr Eriksen, who maintains his innocence, is exercising his right to represent himself in the trial before the Supreme Court. The 62-year-old chose not to say a word to the jury on Tuesday. The former NSW government employee appeared in court in green prison clothing. Justice Andrew Coleman advised the jury to not "draw any adverse inference" from his appearance, his standing in court or the fact he declined to speak. The trial is expected to last up to 20 days and the Crown will present 50 witnesses including police officers, forensic specialists, Ms Fenwick's mental health counsellor, and her family and friends who will testify she was afraid of Mr Eriksen. The Crown revealed a text sent from Ms Fenwick to her friend Michelle Roberts. "If anything happens to me, believe I am of sound mind. I am fearful of Tony," the message read. "That is why I am telling you this, I just need to have a record if something happens to me." Another text message to her friend Robert Srjararian read: "Please keep in touch Rob as Tony is acting quite strangely after I told him about my interview today….I don't feel safe with him." The Crown told the jury it believes Ms Fenwick and Mr Eriksen's relationship had been deteriorating for years due to his unemployment and relying on her for financial support. It will allege when Ms Fenwick was made redundant in December 2022, it put further financial stress on her and the relationship. Evidence from her counsellor and a recorded call made by Mr Eriksen to MensLine Australia will show Ms Fenwick wanted him to move out and was actively looking for another place to live. Hours before the alleged murder, Ms Fenwick sent a text to Mr Eriksen with a link to a posting on a house sharing website that read, "Not sure if they will want a 60-year-old man though". The trial will resume on Wednesday where the first witness will give evidence.

News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Caitlyn Bragger, 15, was killed in a crash that injured five other teens travelling in a 4WD when it rolled south of Perth
A 15-year-old girl who was killed in a 4WD that rolled on the weekend has been remembered as an angel who brought sunshine with her everywhere she went. Caitlyn Bragger, 15, was a passenger in a Toyota Landcruiser carrying five other teenagers when it rolled off Scarp Rd in Hoffman, 150km south of Perth, about 8pm on Saturday. Volunteer firefighters freed one of the passengers who was trapped in the wreckage. The 16-year old male driver and a 17-year-old male passenger were seriously injured in the crash and were rushed to Bunbury Hospital. Three other passengers were treated for minor injuries. The group had been camping nearby when the crash occurred with witnesses saying the car had been crushed like a tin can. 'It was scary to see,' one man said. Family friend Mekayla Cowcher paid tribute to the 15-year-old girl 'gone way too soon' and setup a fundraiser to help the family with funeral costs. She said Caitlyn's family were left broken, lost and confused. '(Caitlyn was) known for her kindness, unique sense of humour, and devotion to her family and friends,' she said. 'She bought a ray of sunshine everywhere she went, so outgoing and never left a dull moment in life. ' No one ever expects something like this to happen, you can't prepare yourself. 'We never expected to say goodbye to her beautiful soul so soon. 'Forever 15, forever in our memory and hearts. Our Angel In Heaven.' WA's road toll has reached 87 lives, the highest number of deaths in more than a decade. Premier Roger Cook told media it was an unacceptable figure that could be prevented it people did everything they could to keep themselves and others safe on the road. The premier said they were looking at what was working in other states and overseas and what technology was available to keep roads safer. 'That's why we've got our deep dive into our road safety measures at the moment, reviewing what else we can do as a government,' he said. Shadow Road Safety Minister Julie Freeman said it was a heartbreaking and unacceptable milestone. 'Regional road deaths continue to make up a disproportionate share of the toll,' she said. 'These are our communities. We're on the ground, we're working with regional organisations, and we need to be part of finding solutions. 'We need a coordinated, bipartisan effort to turn this around, because too many lives depend on it.'