‘Throw book at him’: Former employer wants court to show Troy Pannell no mercy

Runaway AFL umpire Troy Pannell’s former employer has demanded that the court throw the book at him for delaying a court case into allegations he defrauded them of $8.7 million.

Runaway AFL umpire Troy Pannell’s former employer has demanded that the court throw the book at him for delaying a court case into allegations he defrauded them of $8.7 million.

Mr Pannell has been dodging a civil claim from SeaRoad Shipping for more than six months in relation to the missing money.

SeaRoad Shipping’s barrister Jonathan B. Davis told Victoria’s Supreme Court on Tuesday that the court should not show mercy to Mr Pannell.

He demanded that Mr Pannell be forced to serve time for each of six contempt of court charges of which he has been found guilty, rather than be allowed to serve them at the same time.

“In this jurisdiction contempt of court is a common law offence … and there is no maximum penalty for it,” he said.

Troy Pannell as an AFL umpire in 2018. Picture: Michael Klein

Mr Davis said Mr Pannell was “thumbing his nose at the court” when he failed to file a defence to SeaRoad’s claim or turn up to court.

“If Mr Pannell had told SeaRoad in a timely way where the money was, it may have been able to recover it,” he added.

The 219-game umpire claimed that he was unable to turn up to one hearing in May because he had hit a kangaroo in his car.

Mr Davis also claimed that Mr Pannell knew he was required to front court and provide an affidavit about the missing money.

He said that he had tried to hide money from the court by getting his friend to sell a horse to avoid a freezing order on his assets.

Mr Pannell apologised for delaying a court case into the allegations, but Mr Davis said it was “too little, too late”.

“Firstly to your honour and the court and to SeaRoad and to their legal team, I apologise for the delay in proceedings, certainly due to an incident involving my mental health,” Mr Pannell said.

“I ask the court to take into consideration my mental health currently and at the time, and also my good record.

“In terms of sentencing, I ask the court, your honour, to consider time currently served along with other possibilities such as community work orders, suspended sentences.”

Troy Pannell leaving the Victoria Supreme Court after his first appearance on July 18 on a civil claim of stealing $8.7 million from SeaRoad Shipping, his former employer. Picture: Mark Stewart

Mr Pannell was arrested near Daylesford in June after he had an accident moments after he failed to stop for police who were trying to detain him to appear in court.

He has been in custody since being released from hospital on June 14, with 39 days already served.

Mr Pannell did not elaborate on what happened to the money missing from SeaRoad Shipping’s accounts.

However, he gave the court a handwritten two-page note detailing his assets and bank accounts.

The Port Melbourne company has accused Mr Pannell of invoicing for repairs to containers that were never carried out, with the total bill hitting almost $9 million over more than a decade.

The invoices were paid to Independent Container Surveyors and Assessors, a company of which Mr Pannell was the sole director and shareholder.

Mr Pannell told the court that he previously considered taking his own life around the time he was due in court over the allegations, with SeaRoad demanding that he pay the money back.

He said that he had “not been present for his children”.

Mr Pannell had not received treatment for his mental health at the time, only getting help in 2008 for a separate matter.

He has now been receiving visits from a mental health nurse while on remand every “two or three days”.

Justice Andrew Watson adjourned the case to Friday, July 25.

Originally published as ‘Throw book at him’: Former employer wants court to show Troy Pannell no mercy