Two brothers charged over the alleged abduction of cricketing great Stuart MacGill have pleaded not guilty and are set to fight the allegations at trial.
Richard and Frederick Schaaf were arrested alongside four other men after the former Test spinner was allegedly abducted last year, over what prosecutors have described as a botched cocaine deal.
The pair appeared in Sydney’s Central Local Court on Thursday where they entered pleas of not guilty to taking or detaining in company to get advantage.
They also had one charge each of participating in a criminal group withdrawn.
They were ordered to appear before the NSW District Court next month and will face trial at a later date.
Mr MacGill was allegedly abducted from outside his home on Sydney’s lower north shore in April last year.
Police will allege he was taken to a Bringelly property in Sydney’s southwest where he was assaulted and threatened with a gun.
He was held for an hour before being driven to Belmore, in southwestern Sydney where he was released, according to police.
Richard and Frederick Schaaf are among six men who have been arrested over the alleged plot, including Marino Sotiropoulos, who is the brother of Mr MacGill’s partner Maria O’Meagher.
Police have said that Mr MacGill was not involved in any illegal activity and that he was “purely” a victim.
The court has previously heard that after a drug dealer disappeared, the group of men allegedly pressured Mr MacGill and demanded payment.
Mr Sotiropoulos has previously denied that he was involved in kidnapping the Test spinner from outside his Cremorne home.
He did not enter a plea when he appeared in court on Thursday.
Two other men, Elijah Schaaf and Son Minh Nguyen, did not enter pleas when they appeared before the court on Thursday.
A sixth man charged over the alleged abduction, Vaeluagaomatagi Feilo, is set to be arraigned in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on Friday.
