Latest news with #Scown
The Advertiser
18-07-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Ex-AFL umpire admits to horse sale while assets frozen
A former AFL umpire who sold a racehorse he owned and gave his former partner $10,000 cash has admitted he breached a court-imposed freeze on his assets. Troy Pannell had previously pleaded guilty to four charges brought by his former company SeaRoad Shipping, relating to payments he had made while working there. Justice Andrew Watson had issued an order on Pannell to prevent him and his company Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors disposing of any goods unless he had assets worth more than $8.7 million. If he sold any of his holdings, those sales must not bring his worth under the amount. Pannell, who was self-represented, on Friday pleaded guilty to two charges of contempt after he handed $10,000 cash to his then partner and sold a racehorse which were in breach of his asset restrictions. The former AFL umpire had initially contested the horse sale charge, claiming in the Melbourne Supreme Court he was not the horse's owner so the sale was not a breach of the order. The plaintiff laid out his evidence, referring to the affidavits of two witnesses, including Matthew Scown, the general manager of Yarraman Park, a thoroughbred racehorse breeding company, and former partner Maree Wilke. Mr Scown said his company had entered into an agreement with Pannell for his horse Aimee's Jewel in 2022. "The stallion service agreement records Mr Pannell as 100 per cent owner of mare Aimee's Jewel," Mr Scown's affidavit read. The company's general manager detailed all the correspondence with Pannell, including preparations for the horse in the lead up to the sale and when the funds were dispersed. "Mr Pannell is recorded as the owner of the filly in all records held by Yarraman ...Yarraman sold the filly on 2 March in accordance with Mr Pannell's authority and direction," Mr Scown said. In Ms Wilke's affidavit, she said she had expressed shock over a transfer form for the horse which bared her signature which she did not sign. "This is the first time that I've seen that document ... I told him I didn't sign it. He told me he signed it on my behalf," she said. "In response to me saying I was worried about being charged under the freezing order, (Pannell) told me I couldn't be charged because I owned the filly." After hearing the plaintiff's evidence, Justice Watson asked Pannell if he wanted to reconsider his position or wished to proceed with cross-examining the witnesses. "I think I'll retract and change after hearing all that," Pannell answered. "You want to plead guilty to fifth charge of contempt now?" the judge asked. "Yes I will, your honour," the accused responded. The experienced umpire, who has presided over more than 200 AFL games, attracted attention after he awarded 17 free kicks to the Western Bulldogs in a 2016 match against the Adelaide Crows. Pannell will return to the court on Tuesday to learn of his penalty. A former AFL umpire who sold a racehorse he owned and gave his former partner $10,000 cash has admitted he breached a court-imposed freeze on his assets. Troy Pannell had previously pleaded guilty to four charges brought by his former company SeaRoad Shipping, relating to payments he had made while working there. Justice Andrew Watson had issued an order on Pannell to prevent him and his company Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors disposing of any goods unless he had assets worth more than $8.7 million. If he sold any of his holdings, those sales must not bring his worth under the amount. Pannell, who was self-represented, on Friday pleaded guilty to two charges of contempt after he handed $10,000 cash to his then partner and sold a racehorse which were in breach of his asset restrictions. The former AFL umpire had initially contested the horse sale charge, claiming in the Melbourne Supreme Court he was not the horse's owner so the sale was not a breach of the order. The plaintiff laid out his evidence, referring to the affidavits of two witnesses, including Matthew Scown, the general manager of Yarraman Park, a thoroughbred racehorse breeding company, and former partner Maree Wilke. Mr Scown said his company had entered into an agreement with Pannell for his horse Aimee's Jewel in 2022. "The stallion service agreement records Mr Pannell as 100 per cent owner of mare Aimee's Jewel," Mr Scown's affidavit read. The company's general manager detailed all the correspondence with Pannell, including preparations for the horse in the lead up to the sale and when the funds were dispersed. "Mr Pannell is recorded as the owner of the filly in all records held by Yarraman ...Yarraman sold the filly on 2 March in accordance with Mr Pannell's authority and direction," Mr Scown said. In Ms Wilke's affidavit, she said she had expressed shock over a transfer form for the horse which bared her signature which she did not sign. "This is the first time that I've seen that document ... I told him I didn't sign it. He told me he signed it on my behalf," she said. "In response to me saying I was worried about being charged under the freezing order, (Pannell) told me I couldn't be charged because I owned the filly." After hearing the plaintiff's evidence, Justice Watson asked Pannell if he wanted to reconsider his position or wished to proceed with cross-examining the witnesses. "I think I'll retract and change after hearing all that," Pannell answered. "You want to plead guilty to fifth charge of contempt now?" the judge asked. "Yes I will, your honour," the accused responded. The experienced umpire, who has presided over more than 200 AFL games, attracted attention after he awarded 17 free kicks to the Western Bulldogs in a 2016 match against the Adelaide Crows. Pannell will return to the court on Tuesday to learn of his penalty. A former AFL umpire who sold a racehorse he owned and gave his former partner $10,000 cash has admitted he breached a court-imposed freeze on his assets. Troy Pannell had previously pleaded guilty to four charges brought by his former company SeaRoad Shipping, relating to payments he had made while working there. Justice Andrew Watson had issued an order on Pannell to prevent him and his company Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors disposing of any goods unless he had assets worth more than $8.7 million. If he sold any of his holdings, those sales must not bring his worth under the amount. Pannell, who was self-represented, on Friday pleaded guilty to two charges of contempt after he handed $10,000 cash to his then partner and sold a racehorse which were in breach of his asset restrictions. The former AFL umpire had initially contested the horse sale charge, claiming in the Melbourne Supreme Court he was not the horse's owner so the sale was not a breach of the order. The plaintiff laid out his evidence, referring to the affidavits of two witnesses, including Matthew Scown, the general manager of Yarraman Park, a thoroughbred racehorse breeding company, and former partner Maree Wilke. Mr Scown said his company had entered into an agreement with Pannell for his horse Aimee's Jewel in 2022. "The stallion service agreement records Mr Pannell as 100 per cent owner of mare Aimee's Jewel," Mr Scown's affidavit read. The company's general manager detailed all the correspondence with Pannell, including preparations for the horse in the lead up to the sale and when the funds were dispersed. "Mr Pannell is recorded as the owner of the filly in all records held by Yarraman ...Yarraman sold the filly on 2 March in accordance with Mr Pannell's authority and direction," Mr Scown said. In Ms Wilke's affidavit, she said she had expressed shock over a transfer form for the horse which bared her signature which she did not sign. "This is the first time that I've seen that document ... I told him I didn't sign it. He told me he signed it on my behalf," she said. "In response to me saying I was worried about being charged under the freezing order, (Pannell) told me I couldn't be charged because I owned the filly." After hearing the plaintiff's evidence, Justice Watson asked Pannell if he wanted to reconsider his position or wished to proceed with cross-examining the witnesses. "I think I'll retract and change after hearing all that," Pannell answered. "You want to plead guilty to fifth charge of contempt now?" the judge asked. "Yes I will, your honour," the accused responded. The experienced umpire, who has presided over more than 200 AFL games, attracted attention after he awarded 17 free kicks to the Western Bulldogs in a 2016 match against the Adelaide Crows. Pannell will return to the court on Tuesday to learn of his penalty.
Perth Now
18-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Ex-AFL umpire admits to horse sale while assets frozen
A former AFL umpire who sold a racehorse he owned and gave his former partner $10,000 cash has admitted he breached a court-imposed freeze on his assets. Troy Pannell had previously pleaded guilty to four charges brought by his former company SeaRoad Shipping, relating to payments he had made while working there. Justice Andrew Watson had issued an order on Pannell to prevent him and his company Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors disposing of any goods unless he had assets worth more than $8.7 million. If he sold any of his holdings, those sales must not bring his worth under the amount. Pannell, who was self-represented, on Friday pleaded guilty to two charges of contempt after he handed $10,000 cash to his then partner and sold a racehorse which were in breach of his asset restrictions. The former AFL umpire had initially contested the horse sale charge, claiming in the Melbourne Supreme Court he was not the horse's owner so the sale was not a breach of the order. The plaintiff laid out his evidence, referring to the affidavits of two witnesses, including Matthew Scown, the general manager of Yarraman Park, a thoroughbred racehorse breeding company, and former partner Maree Wilke. Mr Scown said his company had entered into an agreement with Pannell for his horse Aimee's Jewel in 2022. "The stallion service agreement records Mr Pannell as 100 per cent owner of mare Aimee's Jewel," Mr Scown's affidavit read. The company's general manager detailed all the correspondence with Pannell, including preparations for the horse in the lead up to the sale and when the funds were dispersed. "Mr Pannell is recorded as the owner of the filly in all records held by Yarraman ...Yarraman sold the filly on 2 March in accordance with Mr Pannell's authority and direction," Mr Scown said. In Ms Wilke's affidavit, she said she had expressed shock over a transfer form for the horse which bared her signature which she did not sign. "This is the first time that I've seen that document ... I told him I didn't sign it. He told me he signed it on my behalf," she said. "In response to me saying I was worried about being charged under the freezing order, (Pannell) told me I couldn't be charged because I owned the filly." After hearing the plaintiff's evidence, Justice Watson asked Pannell if he wanted to reconsider his position or wished to proceed with cross-examining the witnesses. "I think I'll retract and change after hearing all that," Pannell answered. "You want to plead guilty to fifth charge of contempt now?" the judge asked. "Yes I will, your honour," the accused responded. The experienced umpire, who has presided over more than 200 AFL games, attracted attention after he awarded 17 free kicks to the Western Bulldogs in a 2016 match against the Adelaide Crows. Pannell will return to the court on Tuesday to learn of his penalty.
National Business Review
06-05-2025
- Business
- National Business Review
Ministry of Awesome appoints new CEO
The board of trustees at Ministry of Awesome has appointed Graham Scown as its new chief executive, effective immediately. Over the past three years, Christchurch-based Ministry of Awesome has transformed from a regional startup hub into a key national player supporting founders across the country. Scown's appointment will be focused on implementing Ministry of Awesome's strategic plan to build New Zealand's most impactful founder-focused programmes for globally ambitious startups, supporting a rise in women entrepreneurs through Electrify Aotearoa, and supporting a more aligned and collaborative startup community. 'Graham's experience in bridging the worlds of government, universities, startups, and industry will be instrumental as we build founder-focused startup programmes to increase economic productivity in New Zealand through startup innovation,' Ministry of Awesome chair Dale Stephens said. For the past 13 years, Scown has led the University of Auckland's venture-building efforts through UniServices, spearheading national programmes such as Momentum, to foster student entrepreneurship, and Return on Science, to drive research commercialisation. His leadership in building successful programmes to enable first-time founders to build new ventures will strengthen Ministry of Awesome's model of leveraging entrepreneurs-in-residence to deliver founder-to-founder mentorship. Scown takes over from interim CEO James Burnes, who will remain a member of the board of trustees, a position he has held since 2019. 'Ministry of Awesome is playing a pivotal role in connecting and supporting a national framework for founder success,' said Scown. 'There's incredible momentum building in our startup ecosystem, and Ministry of Awesome is uniquely placed to fuel that, from the grassroots to the global stage. I look forward to working with our partners and founders to extend our role helping to create companies reaching global markets.' This is supplied content and not commissioned or paid for by NBR.
Scoop
05-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Ministry Of Awesome Announces Graham Scown As New Chief Executive
Press Release – Ministry of Awesome Over the past three years, Christchurch-based Ministry of Awesome has transformed from a regional startup hub into a key national player supporting founders across the country. Tuesday, 6 May 2025 — The board of trustees at Ministry of Awesome is pleased to announce the appointment of Graham Scown as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Over the past three years, Christchurch-based Ministry of Awesome has transformed from a regional startup hub into a key national player supporting founders across the country. Scown's appointment will be focused on implementing Ministry of Awesome's strategic plan to build New Zealand's most impactful founder-focused programmes for globally ambitious startups, supporting a rise in women entrepreneurs through Electrify Aotearoa, and supporting a more aligned and collaborative startup community. 'Graham's experience in bridging the worlds of government, universities, startups, and industry will be instrumental as we build founder-focused startup programmes to increase economic productivity in New Zealand through startup innovation,' says Dale Stephens, Chair of Ministry of Awesome. For the past 13 years, Scown has led the University of Auckland's venture-building efforts through UniServices, spearheading national programmes such as Momentum to foster student entrepreneurship and Return On Science to drive research commercialisation. His leadership in building successful programmes to enable first-time founders to build new ventures will strengthen Ministry of Awesome's model of leveraging entrepreneurs-in-residence to deliver founder-to-founder mentorship. Scown takes over from Interim CEO James Burnes, who will remain a member of the Board of Trustees, a position he has held since 2019. Burnes' priority over the past 14 months as interim CEO was to strengthen the organisation's focus and capabilities to deliver founder support in anticipation of changes by the government to NZ's science and innovation sector. 'Ministry of Awesome is playing a pivotal role in connecting and supporting a national framework for founder success,' said Scown. 'There's incredible momentum building in our startup ecosystem, and Ministry of Awesome is uniquely placed to fuel that, from the grassroots to the global stage. I look forward to working with our partners and founders to extend our role helping to create companies reaching global markets.'
Scoop
05-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Ministry Of Awesome Announces Graham Scown As New Chief Executive
Tuesday, 6 May 2025 — The board of trustees at Ministry of Awesome is pleased to announce the appointment of Graham Scown as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Over the past three years, Christchurch-based Ministry of Awesome has transformed from a regional startup hub into a key national player supporting founders across the country. Scown's appointment will be focused on implementing Ministry of Awesome's strategic plan to build New Zealand's most impactful founder-focused programmes for globally ambitious startups, supporting a rise in women entrepreneurs through Electrify Aotearoa, and supporting a more aligned and collaborative startup community. 'Graham's experience in bridging the worlds of government, universities, startups, and industry will be instrumental as we build founder-focused startup programmes to increase economic productivity in New Zealand through startup innovation,' says Dale Stephens, Chair of Ministry of Awesome. For the past 13 years, Scown has led the University of Auckland's venture-building efforts through UniServices, spearheading national programmes such as Momentum to foster student entrepreneurship and Return On Science to drive research commercialisation. His leadership in building successful programmes to enable first-time founders to build new ventures will strengthen Ministry of Awesome's model of leveraging entrepreneurs-in-residence to deliver founder-to-founder mentorship. Scown takes over from Interim CEO James Burnes, who will remain a member of the Board of Trustees, a position he has held since 2019. Burnes' priority over the past 14 months as interim CEO was to strengthen the organisation's focus and capabilities to deliver founder support in anticipation of changes by the government to NZ's science and innovation sector. 'Ministry of Awesome is playing a pivotal role in connecting and supporting a national framework for founder success,' said Scown. 'There's incredible momentum building in our startup ecosystem, and Ministry of Awesome is uniquely placed to fuel that, from the grassroots to the global stage. I look forward to working with our partners and founders to extend our role helping to create companies reaching global markets.'
