Troy Pannell, a former AFL umpire, has been sentenced to 11 weeks in jail for contempt of court after violating a court-enforced asset freeze and failing to disclose his financial status. The court found Pannell guilty of multiple contempt charges related to his former employer, SeaRoad Shipping, which accused him and his company, Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors (ICSA), of not providing accurate affidavits about his assets.
Pannell’s legal troubles stem from a fraud investigation linked to alleged improper payments made during his tenure at SeaRoad Shipping. Following this investigation, his assets were frozen to prevent him from diminishing his financial worth, which was assessed at over $8.7 million. However, Pannell disregarded this order by selling a horse he owned and transferring $10,000 in cash to a friend, further breaching court directives.
In July, Pannell admitted to two additional counts of contempt related to these actions. Justice Andrew Watson described Pannell’s inaction as seriously hindering the court’s ability to uphold justice and characterised his defiance over an extended period as a significant violation of legal obligations. Pannell has spent 54 days on remand for his offences, and his prison terms will run concurrently.
Prior to these legal issues, Pannell had a notable career officiating over 200 AFL games. He gained public attention for his controversial decision-making during matches, including a 2016 game where he awarded an unusually high number of free kicks to one team. Pannell also had a notable incident in May 2014, where he was concussed and had to be stretchered off the field following an accidental collision. He ultimately retired from umpiring in 2019 due to injuries.