Stuart MacGill’s appearance at a Sydney court on Wednesday to face charges of drug dealing proved the former star spin bowler has made one huge change to his life in the last year as he showed off his incredible weight loss.
The 53-year-old entered the Downing Centre District Court smartly dressed in suit and tie – and a quick comparison of those photos with images of him at a legends cricket game last year demonstrates the big change in his looks.
MacGill cut a very trimmed-down figure as he went on trial after pleading not guilty to one count of taking part in the supply of a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
It’s alleged MacGill facilitated a meeting and drug deal between a street level dealer and his brother-in-law during which $330,000 was exchanged for a 1kg block of cocaine.
MacGill is accused of introducing a street-level drug dealer, who for legal reasons can only be known as ‘Person A’, and his partner’s brother, Marino Sotiropoulos, and was present when the pair negotiated a deal in the car park of his Neutral Bay restaurant in April 2021.
On day one of his trial on Tuesday, the court was told that Mr MacGill told police he had no knowledge of any drug deal.
Stuart Macgill is pictured arriving at a Sydney court on Wednesday after pleading not guilty to a charge of taking part in the supply of a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug
The 53-year-old was kidnapped, stripped and assaulted after allegedly being involved in a drug deal in the car park of the restaurant he ran in the Sydney suburb of Neutral Bay
MacGill’s appearance at court proved he has shed a lot of weight since he was photographed at a legends cricket game in Lismore last year (pictured)
His barrister Thos Hodgson told the court that Mr MacGill received ‘no benefit’ from any exchange.
At the time, Mr MacGill ran Aristotle’s at Neutral Bay with his girlfriend Maria O’Meagher.
Crown prosecutor Gabrielle Steedman told the jury during her opening address that Mr MacGill was a user of cocaine, which he bought from Person A.
Ms Steedman told the court that it will be alleged that in April 2021, he complained to Person A about the quality of the cocaine he was being sold.
According to the Crown case, it is alleged that Mr MacGill told Person A that his partner’s brother, Mr Sotiropoulos, could supply ‘good quality cocaine’ and that he could ‘get good gear’.
Mr MacGill later told Person A that Mr Sotiropoulos could supply him with 1kg of cocaine for $330,000.
The court was told that it was alleged that Mr MacGill, Mr Sotiropoulos and Person A all met up at Mr MacGill’s restaurant at Neutral Bay.
In the underground car park, Mr MacGill introduced Mr Sotiropoulos and Person A, who had $330,000 in cash, the court was told.
There they discussed how the exchange of money for drugs would occur.
The court was told that Mr MacGill did not take part in the conversation but it was alleged that he stood one metre away.
MacGill’s very noticeable weight loss came as he recovered from the trauma of his abduction and dealt with the looming legal battle over his alleged $330,000 cocaine deal
The former spin bowler is pictured taking a wicket in the Ashes series against England in 2002
Ms Steedman told the court that it was alleged that Mr MacGill ‘facilitated’ the meeting between Person A and Mr Sotiropoulos.
After the meeting Person A left for Ashfield where the drug exchange occurred with another man, Ms Steedman said.
She told the jury that Mr MacGill remained in the restaurant and did not have any further involvement in the deal which occurred in a car park.
The Crown alleges that Person A took part in a further drug deal, once again for 1kg of cocaine for $330,000 – but Mr MacGill is not alleged to have played any role in that deal.
On another occasion, Person A made an agreement to pay $660,000 for 2kgs of cocaine, but on this occasion he ‘decided not to pay’ and gave the suppliers a vacuum sealed brick of pieces of paper with $50 notes on the outside, Ms Steedman said.
‘After realising Person A had ripped them off, there were demands for Person A to be found and they were to be compensated,’ Ms Steedman said.
The court was told there was no dispute between the Crown prosecution and defence that on April 14, Mr MacGill was kidnapped by several males and taken to an abandoned shed at Bringelly where he was stripped and assaulted.
The group demanded to know where Person A was, but Mr MacGill told them he couldn’t contact him, the court was told.
He was released after a few hours and six days later he went to Chatswood Police Station where he made a statement about his kidnapping.
Mr Hodgson argued that Mr MacGill had no knowledge of any drug deal involving Person A.
‘My client will say all he did was introduce these people, Marino and Person A, and had no knowledge whatsoever of what the deal was going to be and he was not involved in any way shape or form,’ Mr Hodgson said.
Mr MacGill’s phone was recovered after it was thrown into the Sydney office of News Corp the court was told.
The court was told that during their investigation, police downloaded all the information on Mr MacGill’s phone however they later lost the USB containing the data.
The court was told that Person A was arrested in December 2021 before police raided his granny flat.
Inside his home, detectives found 856 grams of cocaine, 15 mobile phones, over $290,000 in cash, three sets of scales and resealable bags.
He was charged with drug supply, dealing with the proceeds of crime and firearm possession.
He pleaded guilty and was subsequently sentenced to a maximum of three years and three months in prison, but was released after serving a 20-months non parole period, the jury was told on Tuesday.
The trial before Judge Nicole Noman continues.
