Islamabad, Mar 13, 2025: Former Australian Test cricketer Stuart MacGill may still face imprisonment but has avoided a potential life sentence following his involvement in a $330,000 cocaine deal that led to his violent abduction.
A Sydney district court jury on Thursday acquitted the 54-year-old of participating in a large-scale drug supply operation but found him guilty of a lesser charge of drug supply.
The court determined that while MacGill was aware of the deal between his regular dealer and his brother-in-law, he was unaware that a one-kilogram cocaine brick was being exchanged.
MacGill, who played 44 Tests for Australia, remained composed as the verdict was delivered. He declined to comment as he left the court amidst a media frenzy.
The court was told that the drug transaction occurred beneath a Sydney restaurant in April 2021. The jury also heard that MacGill had been a regular cocaine user for years, purchasing the substance in small quantities.
His association with the dealer, identified as Person A, had allowed him to accumulate drug debts and receive expensive gifts in return for his patronage.
Prosecutors argued that an initial deal proceeded without issue. However, days later, Person A allegedly fled with cocaine worth $660,000 after swapping it for a vacuum-sealed bag filled with paper disguised as cash.
This led to mounting threats, culminating in MacGill’s kidnapping. The former cricketer was reportedly forced into a car, assaulted, and detained in an abandoned shed before being released.
MacGill denied involvement in the drug deal, though prosecutors contended that the transaction could not have taken place without his introduction of the involved parties.
He was arrested in 2023 and remains on bail pending a sentencing hearing on 9 May, where he is expected to seek legal costs.
