Stuart MacGill told police man with bolt cutters threatened to cut off his toes
Cricket legend Stuart MacGill told police an unidentified man with bolt cutters threatened MacGill with extreme physical violence if the 50-year-old did not pay a $150K ransom to his captors.
Police & Courts
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A mystery man armed with bolt cutters threatened to cut off the toes of cricket legend Stuart MacGill during an ordeal where he was kidnapped in the wake of a botched cocaine deal.
Four men have been charged over the April 14 incident where MacGill was allegedly forced into a car at gunpoint outside his home on Sydney’s north shore and driven to a dilapidated home 60km away in western Sydney where he was threatened with a gun over a 2kg cocaine deal.
The Saturday Telegraph understands MacGill, the only alleged victim in the incident, told police that some time during the journey to the Bringelly house, a man armed with bolt cutters entered the car.
Once at the house, the man allegedly threatened to cut off the 50-year-old former leg spinner’s toes if he did not pay a $150,000 ransom to his captors.
The ex-Test star was allegedly assaulted and another man threatened him with another gun during the one-hour ordeal.
MacGill was not seriously harmed and the identity of the man with the bolt cutters is unknown. He is not one of the four men charged.
The cricketer was dumped in Belmore after about an hour and spent the following days hiding in hotels.
It is a bizarre chapter in the cricketer’s otherwise normal life — he operated Neutral Bay restaurant, Aristotle’s, with his partner Maria O’Meagher.
However, police now allege MacGill had become unwittingly entangled in a cocaine deal involving Ms O’Meagher’s brother, Marino Sotiropoulos, 46.
Police will allege in court that Sotiropoulos blamed MacGill for a failed cocaine deal and had him kidnapped after the cricketer refused to pay him $150,000 in compensation.
MacGill has not been charged and police have said the cricketer was the victim and had not committed any wrongdoing. It is not suggested he knew about the drug deal.
Police will allege the genesis of the saga began in the first week of April when Sotiropoulos asked MacGill to introduce him to an associate of the cricketer, known as “Sonny”.
After making the introduction, MacGill told police he “left the pair to their business.”
Sonny is alleged to have been the buyer of a 2kg of cocaine from Sotiropoulos for about $660,000. Sonny has not been charged.
Further details on the identity of Sonny, his connection to MacGill, or why Sotiropoulos asked for an introduction is now likely to become a major issue in the case.
The alleged deal went sour when Sonny is believed to have taken the drugs and either paid with counterfeit money, or not at all.
Police will allege MacGill was held responsible for the failure given he introduced Sonny.
Sotiropoulos allegedly confronted MacGill at his Cremorne home where the cricketer became fearful and attempted to leave.
On April 14, Sotiropoulos allegedly told MacGill “Your mate stole ($)660”, police will claim when the matter goes to court.
MacGill allegedly replied: “I don’t give a f**k, it’s got nothing to do with me. F**k off.”
At one point, MacGill spoke to Sotiropoulos on the street outside his apartment before going back upstairs. It is understood he told police that Ms O’Meagher told him not to go back down because “it’s a trap”.
MacGill went down anyway.
Police will allege Sotiropoulos was pushing MacGill for Sonny’s whereabouts so he could recover the money for the cocaine that belonged to an up-the-line supplier who wanted to be paid.
In the lead up to the alleged kidnapping, Sotiropoulos allegedly asked a friend, Son Minh Nguyen, to play the role of mediator with MacGill.
Nguyen is not accused of going to Bringelly and left before MacGill was forced into the car.
During one exchange, MacGill told police he said to Nguyen “It’s got nothing to do with me.”
Nguyen allegedly told MacGill: “You introduced them …”
Nguyen allegedly pretended to be connected with the cocaine as part of his role and has now been charged with directing a criminal group and kidnapping.
Police allege the tipping point came when Sotiropoulos confronted MacGill outside his Cremorne apartment about 8pm on April 14.
Brothers Richard and Frederick Schaaf allegedly forced MacGill into a Honda.
The cricketer was driven to a dilapidated house in Bringelly where he was allegedly threatened with a gun before being dumped on a Belmore street.
News of the alleged saga broke on Wednesday when Sotiropoulos was arrested and charged with kidnapping MacGill, participating in a criminal group and supplying a large commercial quantity of cocaine.
The Schaaf brothers were charged with kidnapping offences and participating in a criminal group.
Sotiropoulos did not apply for bail in Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday and will next appear on May 12.
The Schaaf brothers and Nguyen also did not apply and will appear on May 10.
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