Latest news with #PersonA
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Indian Express
Stuart Macgill to serve community service after being convicted for a cocaine deal
Former Australian cricketer Stuart Macgill will have to serve a community sentence after being convicted for a cocaine deal in which he was kidnapped. the 54-year-old McGill had been accused of facilitating a cocaine deal between his partner's brother, Marino Sotiropoulos, and a dealer (who was not named for legal reasons) called Person A. Macgill was the link for a $330,000 exchange for a kilogram of cocaine between his brother-in-law, Marino Sotiropoulos, and his regular drug dealer. The cricketer arranged for a meeting under his restaurant on Sydney's north shore. However, the former Test leg-spinner denied knowing that a deal would take place and admitted that he regularly purchased half a gram of cocaine for $200 from the dealer. MacGill has been sentenced to an intensive corrections order for one year and 10 months, and also 495 hours of community service by Judge Nicole Noman. 'His role was essential to bring the parties together and for the transaction to occur,' she said. 'The offender's colossal lapse of judgment has been causative of a very public fall from grace,' the judge added. Three years ago, MacGill was kidnapped by some goons on April 14, 2021, followed by six men still under trial for the kidnapping. 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. 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. Earlier AAP 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.
The Australian
09-05-2025
- The Australian
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
News.com.au
08-05-2025
- News.com.au
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.
The Advertiser
08-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Ex-Test spinner MacGill to learn fate over coke deal
Four years after he was violently kidnapped after a drug deal gone wrong, former Australian Test cricket star Stuart MacGill is set to learn his fate. The former legspinner, who turned to cocaine after cricket, was found guilty in March of supplying an indictable quantity of the drug after a $330,000 exchange in April 2021. A jury determined the 54-year-old knew about the deal between his regular dealer and his brother-in-law but was oblivious to the fact a one kilogram brick was changing hands. He was acquitted of taking part in a large commercial drug supply. MacGill is due to face Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Friday to be sentenced for his role in the lucrative cocaine deal, which led to his violent kidnapping days later. The $330,000 deal between Person A and Marino Sotiropoulos - the brother of MacGill's then-partner - went smoothly, the jury was told. MacGill had become a trusted customer of Person A, from whom he regularly bought cocaine in half-gram quantities for $200. But the jury heard that trust was broken when Person A decided to rip off Sotiropoulos's associates in a second deal and disappear with cocaine worth $660,000. Demands for the location of Person A or the return of the money were made before the former Test bowler was kidnapped later in April. He was shoved into the back of a car by several men and taken to an abandoned building in Bringelly, in Sydney's west, where he was assaulted and threatened before being released. Six days later, the former cricketing great went to police but denied any involvement in the drug deal. He was arrested in 2023. MacGill retired from cricket in 2008 after playing 44 Tests during which he claimed 208 scalps. Four years after he was violently kidnapped after a drug deal gone wrong, former Australian Test cricket star Stuart MacGill is set to learn his fate. The former legspinner, who turned to cocaine after cricket, was found guilty in March of supplying an indictable quantity of the drug after a $330,000 exchange in April 2021. A jury determined the 54-year-old knew about the deal between his regular dealer and his brother-in-law but was oblivious to the fact a one kilogram brick was changing hands. He was acquitted of taking part in a large commercial drug supply. MacGill is due to face Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Friday to be sentenced for his role in the lucrative cocaine deal, which led to his violent kidnapping days later. The $330,000 deal between Person A and Marino Sotiropoulos - the brother of MacGill's then-partner - went smoothly, the jury was told. MacGill had become a trusted customer of Person A, from whom he regularly bought cocaine in half-gram quantities for $200. But the jury heard that trust was broken when Person A decided to rip off Sotiropoulos's associates in a second deal and disappear with cocaine worth $660,000. Demands for the location of Person A or the return of the money were made before the former Test bowler was kidnapped later in April. He was shoved into the back of a car by several men and taken to an abandoned building in Bringelly, in Sydney's west, where he was assaulted and threatened before being released. Six days later, the former cricketing great went to police but denied any involvement in the drug deal. He was arrested in 2023. MacGill retired from cricket in 2008 after playing 44 Tests during which he claimed 208 scalps. Four years after he was violently kidnapped after a drug deal gone wrong, former Australian Test cricket star Stuart MacGill is set to learn his fate. The former legspinner, who turned to cocaine after cricket, was found guilty in March of supplying an indictable quantity of the drug after a $330,000 exchange in April 2021. A jury determined the 54-year-old knew about the deal between his regular dealer and his brother-in-law but was oblivious to the fact a one kilogram brick was changing hands. He was acquitted of taking part in a large commercial drug supply. MacGill is due to face Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Friday to be sentenced for his role in the lucrative cocaine deal, which led to his violent kidnapping days later. The $330,000 deal between Person A and Marino Sotiropoulos - the brother of MacGill's then-partner - went smoothly, the jury was told. MacGill had become a trusted customer of Person A, from whom he regularly bought cocaine in half-gram quantities for $200. But the jury heard that trust was broken when Person A decided to rip off Sotiropoulos's associates in a second deal and disappear with cocaine worth $660,000. Demands for the location of Person A or the return of the money were made before the former Test bowler was kidnapped later in April. He was shoved into the back of a car by several men and taken to an abandoned building in Bringelly, in Sydney's west, where he was assaulted and threatened before being released. Six days later, the former cricketing great went to police but denied any involvement in the drug deal. He was arrested in 2023. MacGill retired from cricket in 2008 after playing 44 Tests during which he claimed 208 scalps.
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Perth Now
Ex-Test spinner MacGill to learn fate over coke deal
Four years after he was violently kidnapped after a drug deal gone wrong, former Australian Test cricket star Stuart MacGill is set to learn his fate. The former legspinner, who turned to cocaine after cricket, was found guilty in March of supplying an indictable quantity of the drug after a $330,000 exchange in April 2021. A jury determined the 54-year-old knew about the deal between his regular dealer and his brother-in-law but was oblivious to the fact a one kilogram brick was changing hands. He was acquitted of taking part in a large commercial drug supply. MacGill is due to face Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Friday to be sentenced for his role in the lucrative cocaine deal, which led to his violent kidnapping days later. The $330,000 deal between Person A and Marino Sotiropoulos - the brother of MacGill's then-partner - went smoothly, the jury was told. MacGill had become a trusted customer of Person A, from whom he regularly bought cocaine in half-gram quantities for $200. But the jury heard that trust was broken when Person A decided to rip off Sotiropoulos's associates in a second deal and disappear with cocaine worth $660,000. Demands for the location of Person A or the return of the money were made before the former Test bowler was kidnapped later in April. He was shoved into the back of a car by several men and taken to an abandoned building in Bringelly, in Sydney's west, where he was assaulted and threatened before being released. Six days later, the former cricketing great went to police but denied any involvement in the drug deal. He was arrested in 2023. MacGill retired from cricket in 2008 after playing 44 Tests during which he claimed 208 scalps.
