Cricketing great Stuart MacGill’s texts over drug deal gone wrong

Stuart MacGill is standing trial over allegations he helped set up a $330,000 drug deal underneath his Neutral Bay restaurant.

Stuart MacGill allegedly text a street level drug dealer “I’m out of time mate” and “I was just trying to help” before he was allegedly kidnapped in the wake of a drug deal gone wrong, a court has been told.

The cricketing great on Monday appeared before Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court where he is battling allegations that he helped facilitate a separate, earlier $330,000 cocaine deal involving a dealer and his partner’s brother.

Mr MacGill has pleaded not guilty to one count of taking part in the supply of a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.

On day one of his trial on Monday, the court was told it was alleged Mr MacGill helped set up a deal in April 2021 in which 1kg of cocaine was exchanged for $330,000.

According to the Crown prosecution, Mr MacGill introduced the dealer, who can only be known as Person A, and his partner’s brother, Marino Sotiropoulos, at a meeting underneath his Neutral Bay restaurant.

Mr MacGill is only alleged to have played a role in that one deal.

Person A, the court was told, later ripped off the suppliers, leading to demands to be made for his whereabouts and Mr MacGill being kidnapped in an effort to find him.

Mr MacGill is fighting the allegations that he helped set up the initial deal, with his barrister Thos Hodgson telling the jury he had no knowledge of the exchange, nor did he receive any benefit

Former cricketer Stuart MacGillis fighting allegations he facilitated a drug deal. Picture: NewsWire/Simon Bullard.

Crown prosecutor Gabrielle Steedman told the jury at the time of the alleged deal, Mr MacGill had regularly purchased drugs off “Person A” for several years.

It has been alleged he regularly bought half a gram of cocaine for $200 - and Person A allowed him to rack up drug debts of about $1000, which were always paid.

Ms Steedman told the court that in April 2021, Mr MacGill complained to the drug dealer about the quality of his product.

And the Crown has alleged that Mr MacGill told Person A that his “brother-in-law” could get “good quality cocaine” and “get good gear”, the court was told.

The court has been told that he informed Person A that Mr Sotiropoulos could exchange a 1kg brick of cocaine for $330,000 and a meeting was later set up underneath his restaurant, Aristotle’s.

It’s alleged the three men met in the underground carpark and that Person A had $330,000 in cash in his hand, the court was told.

According to the crown case, Mr Sotiropoulos and Person A drove off to Ashfield where the exchange took place in a car park.

The Crown says Mr MacGill did not go with them - nor did he have any further involvement in any further deals.

Stuart MacGill is standing trial in the NSW District Court. Picture: NewsWire/Nikki Short.

The Crown has alleged that Person A asked Mr MacGill if he wanted a “present” - by which he meant a couple of grams of cocaine.

When Mr MacGill declined, Person A agreed to wipe his $1000 drug debt it is alleged.

The jury was told that Person A took part in a second deal, in which 1kg of cocaine was once again exchanged for $330,000.

On a further occasion, he allegedly organised a deal for $660,000 for 2kgs of the drug.

However, on this occasion instead of paying money, he handed over a vacuum-sealed block of pieces of paper with $50 notes on the outside so as to appear like a stack of money.

“Person A decided he was going to take the two bricks of cocaine and not pay for them,” Ms Steedman told the jury.

After taking the drugs, Person A allegedly turned off his phone and uninstalled the Wickr messaging app so that no one could contact him.

Stuart MacGill, in 2012, during his stint with the Sydney Sixers. Photo: Will Russell/Getty Images.

The group allegedly began making attempts to find Person A and threats were being issued.

The court was told that Mr MacGill attempted to contact Person A but was unsuccessful.

“I’m out of time mate. I don’t understand why you would deliberately do this to me, I was just trying to help,” Mr MacGill allegedly texted the dealer around the time, the court was told.

The court was told that it is not disputed in the trial that Mr MacGill was kidnapped on the evening of April 14, taken to an abandoned shed in Bringelly where he was stripped, assaulted and held against his will for several hours.

He was ultimately released and seven days later he went to Chatswood Police Station where he made a complaint to police about the kidnapping.

The court heard the central issue in the trial will be whether Mr MacGill had any knowledge of the deal.

Mr Hodgson said he would be calling the credibility and veracity of Person A into question.

And he said that Mr MacGill was not involved in the deal in any manner, as well as arguing that he did not receive any benefit.

”He simply introduced these people and that was the end of it,” Mr Hodgson said.

The trial before Judge Nicole Noman continues.

Originally published as Cricketing great Stuart MacGill’s texts over drug deal gone wrong