Former Australian cricket star Stuart MacGill allegedly screamed obscenities at his best friend’s ex partner before he got into her face and intimidated her in a pub, a court has been told.
The 51-year-old appeared in Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Monday to continue to fight the charges of intimidation and using offensive language in a public place.
Police allege the legendary spin bowler and his friend Stephen Kerlin, 54, verbally abused Samantha Lorraine Ford on Kent St in Sydney.
COURT – STUART MACGILL
The two men are accused of approaching the woman, who is Mr Kerlin’s former partner, on a corner near the Lord Nelson pub around 6pm on February 1.
More than a year after the alleged intimidation, Ms Ford appeared in court and claimed the two men screamed swear words at her as they approached her.
The court was told she had been returning to her home on Argyle St with a parcel in one hand and a poodle in the other when she heard ‘loud shouting’ from a nearby street.
‘The first screams were loud so I looked up immediately and I recognised the two people,’ Ms Ford said.
She identified her former partner Mr Kerlin and his best friend Mr MacGill, whom she’d met before, as her verbal assailants.
The pub owner said the pair were staring directly at her as Mr MacGill shouted that she was a ‘c***y c**t’ and an ‘a**ehole’ and told her she was ‘going down’.
COURT – STUART MACGILL
COURT – STUART MACGILL
The men allegedly approached Ms Ford until they were only 15m away and continued their verbal tirade.
‘I was shocked, I stepped back a couple of paces,’ she said.
‘(I felt) very very threatened and very scared.’
Ms Ford told the court that Mr MacGill had been the instigator of the verbal attack but Mr Kerlin had joined in. She judged the pair to be ‘highly intoxicated’ but said ‘Stuart was in charge’.
‘Stuart appeared … his voice was very loud, the volume was loud. He seemed very angry. It was intense,’ she said.
‘His face was red, his pupils were … scary, they were wild.’
After allegedly unloading the stream of insults on the pub owner, the court was told the men walked away towards the Captain Cook Hotel.
Ms Ford told the court that she followed them to the licensed premises to ask the pub staff not to serve alcohol to Mr MacGill or Mr Kerlin in the interest of her safety.
In a statement to police just a day after the incident, she explained she followed the pair because she wanted to tell Mr MacGill and Mr Kerlin not to threaten or abuse her anymore.
Cricketer Stuart MacGill bowling. Cricket – Aust vs Sri Lanka fourth day of First Test match at the Gabba in Brisbane 11 Nov 2007. a/ct /Cricket/Australia/vs/Sri/Lanka
Stuart MacGill celebrates dismissing Sehwag. Super Test cricket. Australia v ICC World XI at the SCG. pic. Phil Hillyard
‘I didn’t want the events of the evening to escalate more, for them to go and drink more, considering my residence is 10m from the hotel,’ she said.
However, she claimed her entrance to the pub was blocked by the former Test cricketer.
The court was told he was within arm’s reach when he leaned over her and allegedly intimidated her.
‘Stuart came up and said something like ‘f**k off’ and ‘f**k off you c**t’ and he said he was going to call the police,’ Ms Ford explained.
‘He said ‘you c**t, you’re going down, you’re not welcome here’.’
Ms Ford said the former spin bowler was ‘threatening’ and appeared ‘extremely angry’.
‘I felt scared, very scared, intimidated, threatened,’ she said.
The court was told she subsequently backed down the stairs of the hotel, still clutching her parcel and poodle.
Mr Kerlin pleaded guilty to intimidation and contravening an apprehended violence order last year.
The hearing into Mr MacGill’s charges continues before magistrate Christine Haskett.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
