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
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Man who died in police custody at Darwin hospital remembered by Wadeye community
A man who died in police custody at a Darwin hospital on Saturday has been remembered as a "great visionary and educator" as the remote Northern Territory community of Wadeye mourns his loss. The 68-year-old — referred to as TN after his death — was a senior elder from the Kardu Rak Kirnmu clan and traditional owner who lived in the community on the Top End's west coast, formerly known as Port Keats. TN was taken into protective custody by Australian Federal Police (AFP) at Darwin airport on May 30 and was later admitted to Royal Darwin Hospital's (RDH) intensive care unit, where he died on Saturday. Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan said TN's "work for his community and people will never be forgotten". "My heart goes out to his loved ones and all mob across the Wadeye and Darwin Daly regions," he said in a statement on Sunday. "His legacy will live on." The Thamarrurr Development Corporation (TDC), of which TN was a board member, also released a statement saying he was a much loved and respected mentor to his community. "A great visionary and educator, a campaigner for a better life for his community and a respected leader, he will be greatly missed," a spokesperson said. "He played a key role in developing and guiding TDC to become the organisation it is today." Catholic Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci said he had known TN "for many years" and "had the privilege of being with [him] on the day he died", saying he was "deeply saddened at his death". "I was able to accompany him on the last day of his life, I was in the hospital with his wife and family and to pray with him and to be there with them, walking with them at this very significant time," he said. "I have great respect for him as a great leader, he had vision and understanding, he was a very educated man. "He believed in education as empowerment and he was an educator for many years himself. "He was co-principal at the school at Wadeye and really contributed deeply and widely there for the education of young people." Bishop Gauci said TN's loss would leave "a big gap", calling on other leaders across the community step up and continue his "vision of two way". "Two way means be deeply connected with your roots and your culture and celebrate that but also, be open to the realities of life and adapt," he said. An AFP spokesperson said the 68-year-old man was taken to RDH for "sobering up" after being detained on May 30 for allegedly attempting to board a flight while intoxicated. "The man was taken into 'protective custody' by AFP officers under section 128 of the Police Administration Act (PAA) at Darwin airport," they said in a statement. "AFP officers then transported the man to a Darwin hospital where he could be supervised and monitored while sobering up." The PAA allows police in the Northern Territory to apprehend a person without warrant, if the officer believes they are intoxicated in a public place. Under the legislation, a person can be apprehended if police believe they are "unable to adequately care for" themself, may "cause harm" to themself or others, may "intimidate, alarm or cause substantial annoyance to people" or are "likely to commit an offence". The AFP spokesperson said the man experienced a "sudden and serious medical episode" upon arrival at RDH and was admitted to intensive care, where he remained until his death on Saturday. However an NT Police spokesperson said shortly after he was taken into AFP custody, the custody sergeant and a nurse assessed him at the Palmerston watch house "where it was deemed necessary to convey the man to RDH for further assessment". NT Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said the "devastating loss" would be "felt deeply across the territory" and to have two deaths in custody in less than two weeks was "beyond tragic". "[TN] was a respected and strong leader — valued for the guidance he provided to those he worked alongside and the outcomes he helped deliver for his community," she said in a statement. "I know many Territorians will be feeling a profound sense of grief and shock at these two lives tragically cut short. "My thoughts today are also with our police, first responders and hospital staff who are always there for the community in the most difficult of circumstances." Local member for the Daly region, Dheran Young, said his thoughts were with TN's family and community. "Your vision, leadership and advocacy inspired us all," he wrote on social media.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Ex-NRL star Teui Robati accused of rape in pub's disabled toilet
WARNING: Graphic details A Brisbane jury was told a woman began to 'gag' and felt like she was going to vomit as a former NRL player allegedly forced her to perform oral sex in a hotel toilet. Former Brisbane Broncos player Teui 'TC' Robati has pleaded not guilty to raping a woman twice during an alleged encounter in Fortitude Valley in late 2022. Crown prosecutor Isabelle MacNicol told the jury on Monday that the woman had met Mr Robati, along with at least one other Broncos player, earlier that evening at The Prince Consort Hotel in Fortitude Valley on December 11, 2022. The court was told the woman had been out that evening drinking with friends before she encountered Mr Robati at the hotel. She alleged Mr Robati invited the woman upstairs to an event, where he led her into a disabled toilet where she believed he was going to offer her a 'line of cocaine'. 'The door closed and almost immediately he put his arms around her neck and started kissing her,' Ms MacNicol said. Inside the toilet, Mr Robati allegedly pulled his pants down and told the woman to 'suck it' despite her saying she did not want to have sex, the court was told. 'She was scared, she started pacing. She covered her eyes, as she didn't want to look at the defendant's penis,' Ms MacNicol said. 'She said 'I don't want to do this, I don't know why I'm here'.' The woman felt 'pressured and compelled' and then performed oral sex on Mr Robati without her consent, the prosecutor told the court. 'The defendant didn't take no for an answer,' she said. The court was told she momentarily stopped before he forced her head down again. 'After about 15 seconds, she started to gag feeling like she was going to vomit,' Ms MacNicol said. She told the court the woman then said she needed to go to the toilet before getting dressed and leaving. Mr Robati's defence barrister told the court the case would hinge on two key arguments: first, that the sexual acts were entirely consensual and initiated willingly by both parties; and second, that even if the jury found the woman did not consent, Mr Robati held an honest and reasonable belief that she had, a belief which, even if ultimately mistaken, would form a crucial part of the defence's case. The jury was shown a prerecorded video of the complainant's evidence and her cross-examination, which was conducted in a closed session. Mr Robati was stood down by the Brisbane Broncos in February 2023, just weeks before the start of the NRL season, after the allegations became public. He has not played in the NRL since. The trial is expected to run for three days.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘I feared for my safety': Ex-Titans player faces final day in court
Moments before a man collapsed on a Gold Coast footpath, a former Titans player says he was being charged at by someone 'angry, swearing' and ready to fight. The trial of former Gold Coast Titans player Oshae Jackson Tuiasau, 30, has entered its final stages, with both sides closing their cases on Monday after six days of evidence in the Brisbane Supreme Court. Mr Tuiasau has pleaded not guilty to unlawfully striking Toro George, 39, who died in hospital eight days after falling and hitting his head on a Surfers Paradise street in the early hours of December 19, 2021. Mr Tuiasau returned to the witness box on Monday for further cross-examination, repeating his claim that he feared for his safety and believed Mr George was about to attack him. 'He was lunging,' Mr Tuiasau said. 'He was pushing towards us … he was angry.' Mr Tuiasau told the court that as the group walked up the street, Mr George was yelling, moving fast, and coming directly toward him. 'Everything happened so quick, everyone was yelling,' he said. Mr Tuiasau said his friend Odaine, who appeared worried, tried to hold Mr George back. 'Toro was a lot bigger than Odaine … he (Odaine) was trying to hold him back but he wasn't really successful,' he said. 'I felt like I was in danger at the time … I knew he was looking to fight. 'I feared for my safety at the time.' The court was previously told there had been a night of escalating tensions stemming from a sexual assault allegation inside the nightclub. A young woman, known to Mr Tuiasau, was celebrating her 19th birthday and testified that Mr George touched her inappropriately on the dance floor, prompting her brother to confront him and sparking a series of heated altercations captured on CCTV inside and outside the nightclub. Mr Tuiasau said he became aware of a commotion inside involving Mr George but did not intervene when someone from his group told him that 'Toro had touched (a woman's) vagina'. He said Mr George had initially apologised after the nightclub incident, and the two shook hands and hugged. But as the group walked down the street, tensions reignited and Mr George allegedly became loud, angry, and aggressive. The jury again viewed CCTV footage of the moments leading up to the punch and the punch itself. Several members of Mr George's family turned away or closed their eyes as it was played. The footage showed shoving between Mr George and other members of the group. Mr Tuiasau, who appeared uninvolved in the physical exchanges, was walking on the far side. Mr George could be seen leaning towards him before Mr Tuiasau suddenly struck him once in the face. Mr George fell backwards, hitting his head on the pavement, and immediately lost consciousness. Mr Tuiasau told the jury that he acted instinctively. 'I didn't have time to think,' he said. He said he hadn't mentioned Mr George's aggression or the earlier nightclub incident during his police interview because he was distressed. 'My mind was scattered … I was kind of all over the place,' he said. 'I couldn't figure out what was happening to me at the time.' Mr Tuiasau also said he was worried about Mr George after the incident. 'I was concerned not that he was dead but if he was OK … I had so much on my mind at the time,' he said. Closing arguments are expected to begin Tuesday before the jury retires to deliberate.
