Former friend dobbed in cricket legend Stuart MacGill over ‘$330k coke deal’
A former friend dobbed in former Australian cricket star Stuart MacGill and provided information to police claiming MacGill was involved in brokering a cocaine deal worth in excess of $300,000.
Police & Courts
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A former confidante of cricket legend Stuart MacGill turned on the spin bowler, leading to him being charged over a $330,000 cocaine deal.
The Saturday Telegraph can reveal the person — who cannot legally be identified because of a court order — provided information to police claiming MacGill was involved in brokering a 1kg cocaine deal.
The person also told police MacGill had a $1000 cocaine debt wiped in return for allegedly setting up the deal.
After receiving the new information, detectives conducted extensive inquiries and ordered the 44 Test veteran to front Chatswood Police Station just before 6pm on Tuesday.
Detectives from the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad charged MacGill with one count of taking part in the supply of a large commercial quantity of cocaine before releasing him on strict conditional bail to appear in court next month.
The charge carries a potential maximum penalty of life in jail.
Police allege the cocaine deal allegedly took place in early April 2021 and resulted in MacGill being kidnapped, stripped naked and bashed about a week later.
Six men were charged over the alleged kidnapping and remain before the courts.
MacGill, who retired from Test cricket in 2008 before forging a career in the media and restaurant game, is regarded as one of the best leg-spinners of the modern era behind Shane Warne.
He managed a Neutral Bay restaurant, Aristotle’s, which was owned by his girlfriend Maria O’Meagher, before the eatery closed down just over a month after the alleged kidnapping.
Ms O’Meagher has not been charged and is not accused of any wrongdoing.
The charges came as a major twist after police repeatedly said MacGill was an innocent victim of the alleged kidnapping.
The cricketer has also given a number of television interviews where he has denied taking part in cocaine supply.
It is believed police will allege MacGill facilitated a cocaine deal between two people where one agreed to sell 1kg of cocaine to the other for $330,000.
The two men allegedly met in the car park behind Aristotle’s before the drug deal was conducted elsewhere.
Police will also allege a $1000 cocaine debt that MacGill owed to one of the men was erased as a reward for the cricketer setting up the drug deal.
The witness told police MacGill bought cocaine for his own personal use from one of the men but was frequently late in paying for it.
Police allege the two men later conducted similar deals for another 3kg of cocaine that did not involve MacGill.
But the alleged buyer is believed to have stolen 2kg of the cocaine in one of the later deals, instead of paying $660,000 for it, police will claim.
The buyer allegedly gave the seller a ream of blank paper, which was shrink wrapped and taped with a number of $50 notes on the outer layer.
The alleged intention was to make it look like a $660,000 slab of cash.
He is then believed to have taken the cocaine and vanished.
Police allege MacGill was blamed and kidnapped because he allegedly brought the two men together.
Hours before the alleged kidnapping, MacGill sent a text message to the man who was believed to have stolen the drugs.
“I’m out of time mate. I don’t understand why you would deliberately do this to me. I was just trying to help,” MacGill wrote in the message.
As a result, police allege the spin bowler was kidnapped outside his Cremorne apartment about 7pm on April 14, 2021.
The cricketer told police he was forced into a car before being driven 60km to a rural property in Bringelly.
MacGill told police he was taken to a dilapidated shed, stripped naked and bashed by men who threatened to cut his fingers off with boltcutters unless he paid $150,000 for the missing cocaine.
The cricketer told police he was then driven to a train station in South West Sydney where he caught a cab back to his apartment about 11pm.
The day after the alleged kidnapping, MacGill packed a bag and hid in the boot of Ms O’Meagher’s car, he told police.
They drove to Bronte and MacGill got out of the boot only when they were convinced they weren’t being followed.
MacGill checked into a series of hotels and went to police on April 20.
Police launched an operation that involved undercover operatives before making the arrests.
MacGill was granted conditional police bail and was ordered to face Manly Local Court on October 26.
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