Cricket legend Stuart MacGill ‘kidnapped by partner’s brother’

Former Test great Stuart MacGill was allegedly kidnapped and held at gunpoint by a gang led by the brother of his restauranteur partner.

Former Australian Test cricketer Stuart MacGill was allegedly abducted from Sydney’s north shore and held at gunpoint for one hour by a criminal gang led by the brother of his restaurateur partner Maria O’Meagher.

MacGill, who reached a confidential settlement with Cricket Australia in 2017 over a $2.6m injury claim, was allegedly confronted by Marino Sotiropoulos - the brother of Ms O’Meagher - about 8pm on April 14 at an intersection near his house in Cremorne.

Detective Acting Superintendent Anthony Holton said Mr Sotiropoulos, who enjoyed a “personal relationship” with his sister’s partner, was joined in the alleged extortion plot by Son Minh Nguyen, 42, and brothers Frederick Schaaf, 27, and Richard Schaaf, 29.

Police allege two members of the “criminal gang” forced MacGill, 50, into a vehicle and drove him to a property at Bringelly, more than 60 kilometres away in the city’s south-west.

“I believe that the motive was purely financial, he was seen as someone that they could get money from,” Superintendent Holton said.

Stuart MacGill leaving his home at Cremorne. Picture: Adam Yip/ Daily Telegraph

At the Bringelly property, MacGill was allegedly assaulted and threatened at gunpoint. About an hour later, police allege the ex-cricketer was “dumped” by the gang in Belmore.

“To be standing on the street in Cremorne, to to be dragged into a car, to be driven to remote location, physically assaulted, threatened with a firearm (and) held for a period of time then dumped, I think you‘d be pretty worried about your own personal safety, the safety of your family,” Superintendent Holton said.

MacGill reported the incident to officers from North Shore Police Area Command on April 20, six days after the alleged kidnapping occurred. He suffered minor injuries but did not need medical treatment, police said.

Mr Nguyen has also been charged with directing a criminal group and the other three accused have been charged with participating in a criminal group.

Mr Sotiropoulos has also been charged with supplying a commercial quantity of prohibited drugs. Frederick Shaaf and his older brother Richard Schaaf, who allegedly has links to the Comanchero bikie gang, has been described by police as the “hired help” in the alleged kidnapping.

“They are a criminal gang, it was a targeted kidnapping with the motive to take money from him with no ransom,” Superintendent Holton said.

MacGill is currently the general manager of Greek restaurant Aristotle’s in Neutral Bay, which is owned by Ms O’Meagher. Her brother, Mr Sotiropoulos, has also previously owned the restaurant.

There are no allegations of wrongdoing against MacGill, who was “purely the victim” in the matter, police said.

Detectives arrested the four men during a series of dawn raids on Wednesday. Police also executed search warrants at homes at Sutherland, Caringbah, Brighton Le-Sands, Banksia and Marrickville.

The ex-cricketer, who played 44 Tests and claimed 208 wickets, sued Cricket Australia for $2.6m in January 2015.

He claimed the organisation failed to pay him injury payments over a two-year period from 2008 and that he had subsequently lost $1.6m in match payments and prize money plus $1m in interest and legal fees.

Cricket Australia reached an out-of-court settlement with MacGill in July 2017. As a leg-spinner, MacGill was the successor to Australia’s greatest ever wicket-taker Shane Warne.

All four men have been charged with kidnapping and were denied bail on Wednesday. They will appear at Sutherland Local Court next week.