Source : ABC NEWS
A former AFL umpire accused of leaking information on confidential Brownlow votes as part of a $300,000 betting scheme has been ordered to stand trial.
Michael Pell, 35, appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today alongside his brother Donovan Pell and friend, Mitch Lucas, over alleged betting fraud related to the 2021 and 2022 Brownlow counts.
The trio’s lawyers argued that the charges should not apply due to loopholes in the legislation, but Magistrate Patrick Southey dismissed the argument.
“I don’t find the wording ambiguous,” Magistrate Southey told the court.
“In my view, the conduct alleged did affect the betting outcomes.“
Michael Pell made his AFL umpiring debut in 2021, before being promoted to the main umpires list in 2022.
Police allege Mr Pell shared information with his brother and two friends about which AFL players received Brownlow votes during games he umpired, with the men winning about $300,000 on a series of bets.
Michael Pell’s case relates to charges over alleged suspicious gambling detected on the 2021 and 2022 AFL Brownlow medal awards. (AAP: Joel Carrett)
The Brownlow Medal recognises the AFL’s best and fairest player each season and is decided by umpires who pick the top three players from each league fixture.
The season’s votes are kept secret and only revealed on awards night.
This morning, Michael Pell’s lawyer, Samuel Tovey, argued the charges should be struck out because Mr Pell’s actions did not corrupt the outcome of the Brownlow itself.
“The plain words of the section, and the application of logic, would dictate that the conduct cannot and did not alter the result,” Mr Tovey told the court.
“That result was fixed in stone when the umpires walked out of the room.“
But the magistrate disagreed with Mr Tovey’s interpretation of the law, stating that he was “far from persuaded” that the event itself had to be corrupted for the charges to apply.
“It’s the betting outcome that has to be affected, and there’s evidence, it seems to me, that all of the accused, by divulging or using the divulged information, have infringed the section,” he said.
Decided by umpires, the Brownlow Medal is awarded to the AFL’s best and fairest player at the end of each season. (AAP: Julian Smith)
“The people who weren’t going to win without the insight of the information, and the agencies who otherwise would have taken the money, fleeced the punters as they usually do, that’s the outcome that’s been corrupted in my opinion.”
Each of the men have entered a not guilty plea and remain on bail.
During the hearing’s close, the magistrate took the opportunity to reflect on the case.
“It’s made me sad that for young men of a certain generation, sport and gambling go hand in hand.“
The matter will return to court on July 24.
