Former Australia Test cricketer Stuart MacGill knew he was taking part in a cocaine deal but was oblivious about the scale of the exchange that began under his restaurant.
That is the verdict of a Sydney District Court jury that acquitted the former legspinner on Thursday of taking part in a large commercial drug supply in April 2021.
The jury heard that the illicit exchange of Aus$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 Shane Warne, showed little emotion as the verdicts were read.
His sentencing hearing was adjourned for eight weeks.