'Principality of Camside' principal going to jail, but not yet
The Federal Court has sentenced 'His Excellency' David Robert Siminton, 'Governor of the State of Sherwood' (Sherwood being a province of the 'Principality of Camside'), and also a principal (pun not intended) of a financial investment scam (maybe it should be 'Principality of Scamside'?) to jail for contempt.
In Australian Prudential Regulation Authority v Siminton (No 10) [2007] FCA 1814, Siminton was found in contempt in relation to eight charges of unauthorised dealings with funds (received from duped 'investors') which Siminton had been restrained from dealing with. Siminton was sentenced to 12 months jail on each of the eight charges, to be served concurrently, and ordered to pay APRA's costs on a solicitor-client basis.
In Australian Prudential Regulation Authority v Siminton (No 11) [2007] FCA 1815, Siminton was found in contempt for having not paid a fine previously imposed on him by the Full Court of the Federal Court. Siminton was sentenced to 4 months, and ordered to pay APRA's costs on a solicitor-client basis.
In both judgments, the Court ordered that a warrant for Siminton's imprisonment issue, but lie on the court file until further order, Siminton's counsel having indicated that Siminton would appeal in both matters. Siminton was ordered to stay away from points of international departure and to report to police once a week. Perhaps I'm being overly critical, but where someone has been sentanced to jail for 'wilful and contumacious' contempt of previous court orders, it seems a bit naive to think that another court order would stop Siminton skipping the country before he could be locked up?
Siminton's appeal to the Full Court should make for interesting reading. Apparently Siminton has diplomatic immunity -- I'm sure that will get raised.
In Australian Prudential Regulation Authority v Siminton (No 10) [2007] FCA 1814, Siminton was found in contempt in relation to eight charges of unauthorised dealings with funds (received from duped 'investors') which Siminton had been restrained from dealing with. Siminton was sentenced to 12 months jail on each of the eight charges, to be served concurrently, and ordered to pay APRA's costs on a solicitor-client basis.
In Australian Prudential Regulation Authority v Siminton (No 11) [2007] FCA 1815, Siminton was found in contempt for having not paid a fine previously imposed on him by the Full Court of the Federal Court. Siminton was sentenced to 4 months, and ordered to pay APRA's costs on a solicitor-client basis.
In both judgments, the Court ordered that a warrant for Siminton's imprisonment issue, but lie on the court file until further order, Siminton's counsel having indicated that Siminton would appeal in both matters. Siminton was ordered to stay away from points of international departure and to report to police once a week. Perhaps I'm being overly critical, but where someone has been sentanced to jail for 'wilful and contumacious' contempt of previous court orders, it seems a bit naive to think that another court order would stop Siminton skipping the country before he could be locked up?
Siminton's appeal to the Full Court should make for interesting reading. Apparently Siminton has diplomatic immunity -- I'm sure that will get raised.
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