Ex-Test cricketer Stuart MacGill guilty over cocaine deal

Former Australian Test cricketer Stuart MacGill knew he was taking part in a cocaine deal but was oblivious about the large scale of the exchange that began under his restaurant.

That is the verdict of a Sydney District Court jury that acquitted the leg-spinner on Thursday of taking part in a large commercial drug supply in April 2021.

The jury heard the illicit exchange of $330,000 for a kilogram of cocaine was struck between MacGill’s regular drug dealer and the former cricketer’s brother-in-law Marino Sotiropoulos.

The cricketer teed up a meeting under his restaurant on Sydney’s north shore but denied knowing the deal was to take place.

Prosecutors argued the deal could not have occurred without MacGill’s prior involvement.

While the jury dismissed the Crown’s claims about MacGill’s knowledge of a one-kilogram deal, it found him guilty of the lesser charge of taking part in drug supply.

MacGill, whose 44-Test career came in the shadow of cricketing great Shane Warne, showed little emotion as the verdicts were read.

His sentencing hearing was adjourned for eight weeks.

AAP