Stuart MacGill’s phone used to send texts after it was taken from the cricketer

The bombshell re-emergence of cricket great Stuart MacGill’s stolen mobile phone has a second chapter: Who was using it after it was allegedly taken from MacGill?

Text messages on Stuart MacGill’s phone show it was being used after it was taken from him when he was allegedly kidnapped.

The Test cricketer told police his phone was taken from him on April 14 before he was allegedly forced into a car outside his North Shore home and driven to a shed on a farm in Western Sydney where he was made to strip nude and bashed.

The location of the phone was unknown until it was thrown through the front door of News Corp’s Surry Hills headquarters in the early hours of May 31.

In the days after it was taken from MacGill, the phone was being used to text people in the cricketer’s contact list, including Mosman based finance worker Martin Mulder and North Shore businessman Tony Jaggs.

Mystery text messages were found on Stuart MacGill’s phone. Picture: Adam Yip/ Daily Telegraph

Text messages were sent to the two men between April 16 and 19 but it is not suggested that either man engaged in any wrongdoing of any kind. Mr Mulder did not return calls from The Saturday Telegraph while Mr Jaggs declined to comment.

Four people have been charged with kidnapping MacGill, including MacGill’s girlfriend Maria O’Meagher’s brother Marino Sotiropoulos.

Police have alleged in documents tendered to court that MacGill was held responsible by an alleged crime gang for a failed cocaine deal worth $660,000.

Police have also said MacGill has committed no crime and had no knowledge of the alleged drug deal.

MacGill allegedly introduced Sotiropoulos to a friend named “Sonny” whom the cricketer told police was a drug dealer, friend and frequent patron of his Neutral Bay restaurant.

MacGill told police that Sotiropoulos said on April 14 that Sonny had stolen 2kg of cocaine and that the cricketer was being held responsible.

MacGill’s phone was thrown through the front door of News Corp by this man.

He told police that Sotiropoulos took his phone off him at about 8pm that night.

At Bringelly, an “Islander” male allegedly asked MacGill for the phone’s access code, which the cricketer supplied.

In the days that followed, Mr Mulder and Mr Jaggs were both contacted by the phone and, unaware that Mr MacGill was not in possession of it, both responded expressing their concern for him and willingness to help him.

On April 19 – five days after it was allegedly taken from MacGill – a text message sent from the cricketer’s phone to Mr Mulder said: “Hey mate can you meet with jaggs and marino tonight.”

The replies said “OK, will do”, “Will you be OK?” and “Are you OK?”

Another text sent from MacGill’s phone two minutes later said: “I can’t have the phone for long, but marino will explain everything. Please I need help.”

On April 20, a message from Mr Mulder’s to MacGill’s phone offered to help the spin bowler arrange a loan if he needed one.

Text messages show it was being used after the phone was taken from MacGill.

“Hey mate I can assist with finance if you need money,” the text said. “You’ll need to use Cremorne (if that’s possible) as security to obtain a loan. To have money in hand will take 7-10 business days.”

On April 19, MacGill’s phone sent two text messages to Mr Jaggs phone: “Please meet marino. I’m in real deep shit” and “He’ll fill you in. I can’t leave the phone on in case they find me.”

A text reply from Mr Jaggs’ phone said: “Sorry just saw this. Tried around and don’t have old numbers as I delete as they change. No idea of actual name or address.”

Mr Jaggs’ phone sent several follow up texts to MacGill’s, including two that said “Do you want to catch up tmro??” and “Best to talk in person.”

In another text, Mr Jaggs’ phone wrote: “Maria’s brother contacted me. Do you want me to meet with him or you? … Do u want the two of us to meet with him?”

After two more texts, MacGill’s phone replied: “Yes please meet with him.”