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Former Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has been found guilty of playing a role in a cocaine supply deal but was acquitted of involvement in large-scale drug supply, as ruled by a Sydney District Court on Thursday, March 13.
The 54-year-old, who played 44 Tests and 3 ODIs for Australia, was accused of facilitating a one-kilogram cocaine deal worth AUD 330,000 (approximately ₹1.81 crore) in April 2021. However, the jury found him guilty of taking part in drug supply, but not guilty of being involved in a broader drug distribution network.
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MacGill’s Role in the Drug Deal
According to court proceedings, MacGill allegedly introduced his regular drug dealer to his brother-in-law, Marino Sotiropoulos, at a meeting under his restaurant on Sydney’s north shore.
While MacGill denied having any knowledge of the transaction, prosecutors argued that the deal would not have happened without his involvement.
Despite the conviction, reports from Australian media stated that MacGill “showed little emotion” as the verdict was read. His sentencing hearing has been adjourned for eight weeks.
The Kidnapping Controversy
In a bizarre twist, MacGill was previously at the center of a high-profile kidnapping case in 2021.
Initially, the police treated MacGill as a victim, stating that he was abducted and assaulted by two brothers, Richard and Fredrick Schaaf, in an abandoned property in southwestern Sydney.
However, during court proceedings, the Schaaf brothers claimed that MacGill willingly came with them and was involved in the drug trade.
MacGill had earlier shared his traumatic experience of the alleged kidnapping in an interview:
“Later in the day, it was getting quite dark, I was bundled into a car by three blokes. I didn’t want to get into the car; I said to them twice, ‘I’m not getting in the car.’ But then it became obvious that they were armed, and they said, ‘We know you’re not involved, we just want to have a chat.’ Then they put me in the car and I was in the car for an hour and a half.”
Despite the accusations from the Schaaf brothers, Australian authorities had earlier cleared MacGill of any wrongdoing in the kidnapping case.
What’s Next for MacGill?
With the sentencing hearing scheduled in eight weeks, MacGill now faces the possibility of legal consequences for his involvement in the drug supply deal.
His conviction marks a shocking turn in the life of the former cricketer, who was once known for his leg-spin skills and now finds himself entangled in serious legal battles.
