- Ex-AFL umpire faces court over fraud allegations
- Admits guilt in theft and driving offences while in custody
- Find out why the guilty plea was not accepted by the magistrate
Former AFL umpire Troy Pannell has faced court after a dramatic fall from grace as proceedings exposed a tangled web of alleged fraud, theft and driving offences.
Pannell is accused of defrauding his former employer, SeaRoad Shipping, out of more than $8.7million over a ten-year period.
The company claims he funnelled payments to a firm he controlled, Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors, which allegedly did no actual repair work.
The 48-year-old, who officiated 291 AFL games between 2005 and 2018, including five finals, appeared in the Supreme Court flanked by guards, wearing a grey tracksuit and green shirt.
He had previously failed to appear in court, prompting Justice Andrew Watson to issue an arrest warrant.
The saga intensified in early June when Pannell crashed a car into a tree while allegedly fleeing police, leading to an airlift and life-saving surgery.
The former AFL umpire is accused of funnelling millions to a company that allegedly did no work
Pannell officiated 291 games before his career ended in disgrace and multiple criminal allegations surfaced
Soon after leaving hospital, Pannell was taken into custody at Fulham Prison in Sale.
He later appeared in the Heidelberg Magistrates Court via video link, bearded and dressed in a green prison uniform.
His hearing to plead guilty to the theft of a $45,000 Hyundai Tucson, a $2000 mobile phone, and other driving offences was adjourned to allow his new legal team more time.
His previous lawyer had ceased acting for him just six days earlier.
‘I’m just in a cell in here. Not a psych facility. I’ve seen a nurse every couple of days.,’ Pannell told the court.
When asked if he was at risk of self-harm, he responded, ‘No sir.’
He also stated during proceedings, ‘I just want the plea done.’ One of the charges he will plead guilty to includes failing to stop when directed by police.
SeaRoad Shipping alleges that Pannell authorised hundreds of repair invoices for shipping containers, each typically costing between $800 and $900.
SeaRoad Shipping claims Pannell created fake container repairs over a ten-year period totalling $8.7million
Suspicion was only raised when a finance manager discovered that the company receiving the payments was not registered for GST.
Pannell allegedly had the authority to approve purchase orders up to $5000 without requiring oversight.
The company trusted him to follow proper processes but now claims none of the repairs were actually completed.
During a separate hearing on Friday, Pannell conceded he did not hold assets worth $8.7million.
However, he is contesting a charge related to the sale of a racehorse, Aimee’s Jewel, after his assets were frozen.
He told the court the filly was sold to a friend, Maree Wilke, and admitted to transferring $10,000 in cash.
‘I won’t be contesting the $10,000 cash, no … I am in terms I sold the filly prior to any freezing order,’ he said.
Justice Watson asked Pannell if he understood that pleading guilty to the charge meant accepting he did not hold the assets as of March 2 and May 1.
Pannell responded, ‘Yes I accept that.’
The court will reconvene once Pannell has reviewed affidavits and decides whether to cross-examine witnesses. He remains in custody while his legal matters continue to unfold.
