[4]: 77 He faced court accused of inducing a 10-year-old son of Elias Billot to rob his father on 5 September 1848 but the charge could not be substantiated and was later dropped.
[4]: 82–83 A few years later Aimable was brought before the courts on a string of offences, the most serious of which were robbery charges for the repeated theft from a drapery shop between April 1855 and August 1856.
While awaiting trial Duperouzel made "two ineffectual" escape attempts; as a result, he was sentenced to ten years' penal transportation on 6 September 1856.
Duperouzel spent about sixteen months in prison in England before being transported to Western Australia aboard Lord Raglan.
[3]: 2, 19–20 [2]: 107 He was given the number 4840 and was described on arrival as being five feet seven and a quarter inches tall [171 cm], of stout appearance, dark, with black hair, hazel eyes and a cut on the right side of his chin.
[3]: 36 Whether he had heard of her death, or simply chose not to seek out his first wife is not known and no record exists of Elizabeth Ferey after Aimable's transportation.
that's not what we want; if they once begin they will be our servants no longer!’ And the stupid old man, who had himself begun life as a day labourer in England, could not be brought to see that to improve the conditions of individuals would help to enrich the community at large.
One request for a pastoral lease caused conflict with former employer and politician Parker, who petitioned the commissioner of crown lands to deny Duperouzel application.
[2]: 111–112 This culminated in an 1898 Supreme Court case where Duperouzel accused publican and operator of the Castle Hotel, York, James T. Craig of slander.
The West Australian reported that Craig:[9] In the presence of a number of witnesses, stated that the plaintiff was a convict and had been sent out to this country for thieving that instead of being called a retired farmer and horse dealer, he ought to be called a retired horse stealer, that he had set fire to and burned other people's land, and that he had mares which had four foals a year.Craig entered a counter-claim against Duperouzel for comments which implicated him as a murderer and poisoner of his patrons.
In delivering his judgement Onslow expressed disappointment at "see[ing] the charge of being a convict hurled against a man who had lived for 40 years as a well-conducted person.
[2] He was known by most as John the Frenchman, as his French name was difficult for York locals and was etched incorrectly on his tombstone as "Amiable Sierl Duperouzel".