Ex-AFL umpire jailed for contempt of court

Kieran Francis

Ex-AFL umpire jailed for contempt of court image

Former AFL umpire Troy Pannell has been sentenced to jail for committing multiple contempt of court offences.

The 48-year-old was handed an 11-week maximum prison term after he disobeyed a court order to reveal his assets and was caught disposing of assets when he was barred from doing so.

Earlier this year, Pannell failed to appear in court regarding an investigation into an $8.7 million fraud saga involving a company he previously worked for.

After being missing for several weeks following his failure to appear in court,  Pannell crashed his vehicle into a tree while trying to evade police.

MORE: Ex-AFL umpire accused of $8.7 million fraud

Pannell was airlifted to Alfred Hospital after the incident on June 6, where he underwent surgery.

It has emerged Pannell's van struck a tree on Daylesford and Malmsbury Rd, near Wheatsheaf after an earlier police attempt to arrest him had failed.

Police had instructed Pannell to stop and were attempting to intercept the ex-AFL official to issue an arrest warrant for allegedly being in contempt of court.

Pannell has also pleaded guilty to charges relating to theft of a Hyundai Tucson valued at $45,000, a $2000 mobile phone and a laptop worth at $1500 - and also failing to stop for police.

Pannell was an AFL umpire for 14 years, officiating in over 200 games between 2005 to 2018.

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.