Stuart MacGill’s girlfriend breaks silence after alleged kidnapping

Stuart MacGill’s girlfriend has spoken out after she was unwittingly drawn into his horrifying kidnap ordeal.

Test cricket star Stuart MacGill’s latest girlfriend is standing by him after she was unwittingly drawn into his horrifying kidnap ordeal.

MacGill, 50, was was allegedly snatched off the street by four members of a crime gang at Cremorne, north Sydney, about 8pm on April 14.

NSW Police on Wednesday arrested four men including Marino Sotiropoulos, the brother of the spin bowler’s girlfriend Maria O’Meagher.

Maria O'Meagher, with former partner Stuart MacGill, said she wasn’t close with her brother. Picture: Instagram

Maria O’Meagher and Stuart MacGill. Ms O’Meagher confirmed the pair had split.

Stuart MacGill at Aristotle’s restaurant with former partner Maria O’Meagher.

Ms O’Meagher — who owned Aristotle’s restaurant where MacGill worked — has cleared up confusion about the pair’s romance to The Daily Telegraph while also admitting she was not “close” to her brother.

She had previously said: “We’re finished” when discussing her relationship with the Daily Telegraph but later confirmed the couple was still together.

“Stuart and I are still together,” the restaurant owner said of her and MacGill’s relationship.

“We are all still frightened ... I no longer feel safe (and) I really do not understand what happened.

“My brother and I led very different lives and although we were brother and sister we weren’t that close.”

There is no suggestion that Ms O’Meagher had any involvement in the alleged kidnapping.

Stuart MacGill was seen hiding in the back seat of a police car on Wednesday morning. Picture: John Grainger

She said her priority now was to support MacGill and also her parents, who are coming to terms with their son’s arrest.

“Everyone’s fine and everyone’s well, but I’m not interested in talking about what happened,” Ms O’Meagher said.

“Stuart is safe and we are both OK.

“Unfortunately I am caught in the middle of a horrible situation but all I can do is support Stu and my family.

“My elderly parents and children are really suffering and I am fearful for them. They are really in the dark about what happened.”

After allegedly being kidnapped at gunpoint MacGill was driven to a property at Bringelly in Sydney’s west where he was held for close to an hour.

He was then driven back across town to Belmore and dumped.

Terrified from his ordeal, the retired spin bowler hid out in a nondescript motel for nearly a week in fear of his life.

MacGill booked himself into the motel rather than return to home, fearing the kidnappers may be lying in wait again.

It is alleged that somehow MacGill got himself tangled up between two syndicates involved in a drug deal, believed to be worth up to $2 million.

A senior NSW police officer alleged to The Daily Telegraph that MacGill was somehow caught up in a dispute between the two groups and, as a result, “they kidnapped him’’.

Frederick Schaaf.

Richard Schaaf.

Sotiropoulos faced Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday charged with kidnapping and assault causing actual bodily harm, participating in a criminal group and supplying 2kg of cocaine between April 1 and May 4.

His solicitor did not apply for bail and he will return to court on May 12.

Also arrested over the alleged kidnapping was Comanchero associate Richard Schaaf, 29, his brother Frederick Schaaf, 27, and accused mastermind Son Minh Nguyen, 42.