Cricketing great MacGill returns to court as he waits to learn his fate

Stuart MacGill will return to court on Friday for sentencing proceedings after he was found guilty of a serious drug charge.

Cricketing great Stuart MacGill will return to court on Friday as he gets set to learn whether he will be jailed over his role in facilitating a cocaine deal between a man and a street-level dealer.

MacGill was found guilty by a District Court jury of helping to set up, and being present at, a meeting between the man and a street-level drug dealer, who can only be known as Person A, underneath his Neutral Bay restaurant in April 2021.

MacGill had claimed he simply introduced the two men and played no part in a later drug deal.

During his trial, the crown alleged that Person A - who was MacGill’s regular cocaine dealer - and the other man - came to an agreement to exchange $330,000 for 1kg of cocaine.

MacGill told the court he regularly purchased half a gram of cocaine from Person A for $200. And in April 2021, MacGill complained to Person A about the quality of his product while telling him that the man could “get good gear”, the court was told.

Crown prosecutor Gabrielle Steedman told the court that MacGill had acted as a go-between before setting up a meeting between the pair underneath Aristotle’s restaurant, which MacGill ran with his partner Maria O’Meagher.

Ms O’Meagher is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Stuart MacGill will return to court on Friday after he was earlier this year found guilty. Picture: NewsWire/Gaye Gerard.

According to the crown case, MacGill stood metres away during the meeting.

It was not alleged that MacGill was present when the drug exchange later took place in a park in Ashfield.

MacGill was in March found guilty by a jury of one count of taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug.

He was found not guilty of the more serious charge of taking part in the supply of a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, but still faces the prospect of being jailed.

Stuart MacGill leaving court after being found guilty earlier this year. Picture: NewsWire/Steve Zemek.

MacGill has been on bail since the guilty verdict and will appear in the Downing Centre District Court on Friday for a sentence hearing.

He is not expected to be sentenced on Friday, with both his defence and the crown prosecution to make submissions on what his sentence should be.

He is likely to be sentenced at a later date.

During his evidence during the eight-day trial, MacGill denied introducing the pair for the purposes of a large-scale drug deal.

MacGill at Aristotle’s restaurant. Picture: Instagram.

MacGill during his playing career.

He said he was only briefly present during the meeting to introduce them before leaving.

Under cross examination, MacGill was asked about his motivation for introducing the two men and he was asked what he thought they had in common.

“Drugs. Full stop,” MacGill replied.

However, the jury rejected his version of events as he was found guilty.

Originally published as Cricketing great MacGill returns to court as he waits to learn his fate