Latest news with #RosemaryAnneGamble
ABC News
4 days ago
- ABC News
Hillcrest families react to court decision
Nick Grimm: It was a tragedy at an end of year school celebration that devastated a small Tasmanian community. The deaths of six children in a jumping castle accident four years ago saw the operator criminally charged with failing to comply with a health and safety duty. Today, a court in Devonport has found the operator not guilty. Reporter Manika Champ has been at the courthouse. Manika, just remind us about the background to this case and the changes that have already been implemented. Manika Champ: Well, Nick, it was obviously, as you mentioned, an incident that shocked the nation. So it was December 16 in 2021 and the kids were all celebrating at an end of year celebration. It was a day that was supposed to be a lot of fun. Jumping castles, Zorb balls, all set up on the school oval. And now it was a sunny day and there wasn't actually much wind around at all. But we heard that there was a really freak wind gust that blew the jumping castle into the air and sent it across to the other side of the school oval. And as a result of that, six children died and three were seriously injured. Now, after this incident unfolded, WorkSafe investigated and then they brought charges against the jumping castles operator, who was Rosemary Anne Gamble, trading as Tas-Zorb. So she was charged with failing to comply with her health and safety duty. Now, she pleaded not guilty to that charge. And in November last year, she faced a two week hearing in the Magistrates Court here in Devonport. During that hearing, the prosecutors alleged that Ms Gamble didn't adequately anchor the castle. We heard that there were eight tether points and she only tethered it and pegged it to the ground at four of those eight points. But the defence argues that the wind gust was so unpredictable and out of the blue that no amount of pegs would have prevented what happened. So after this tragedy did unfold, the Tasmanian government quickly banned the use of jumping castles at all Tasmanian education department facilities. So from the date of this tragedy, no jumping castles have been able to be used at any Tasmanian school. Nick Grimm: So what has the court determined today? Manika Champ: So today Magistrate Robert Webster handed down his decision. Now, he ruled that he was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the charge against Ms Gamble had been proven. She was told that you're free to go and effectively found not guilty of that health and safety charge. And he wrote that the incident may have been unavoidable and he said that Ms Gamble could have done more or taken further steps. However, given the effects of the unforeseen and unforeseeable dust devil, had she done so, that would sadly have made no difference to the ultimate outcome. Nick Grimm: So what sort of reaction has there been to the determination? Manika Champ: As you can imagine, Nick, emotions have been running incredibly high here in Devonport this morning. There were at least a dozen family members inside the court when this decision was handed down. Georgie Birch, the mother of Zane, who died in the tragedy, said she was deeply disappointed in the Tasmanian justice system. Andrew Dodt, the father of Peter Dodt, also spoke outside court. Andrew Dodt: I've been broken for a long time and I think I'm going to be broken for a lot more. I thank you for walking the path with us, it was a very long path and I think we've still got a long way to go. I think our hopes are just shattered now, at the end of the day all I wanted was an apology for my son not coming home and I'm never going to get it and that kills me. Manika Champ: And Nick, that was Andrew Dodt, the father of Peter Dodt, who died in the Hillcrest Primary School tragedy. And as you can hear, those emotions were running incredibly high. Ms Gamble did also speak outside court after the verdict was handed down, where she spoke through a lawyer. In that statement, she said, I am a mother. I can only imagine the pain that other parents are living with each and every day. Every moment that goes by, I wish this tragedy never occurred and that the families that were torn apart were still whole. And of course, even though this is the end of the criminal case, we still have a lot more in this Hillcrest Primary School tragedy to come. So there will be a coronial inquest and we're expecting that we'll find out very shortly when that will proceed. There will also be a class action, which has already begun, and that is against the Tasmanian government, the Education Department and also the castle's operator, Ms Gamble. So this is the end of one part of this tragedy. It is still going to be a lot more to come from it. Nick Grimm: Manika Champ reporting.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Bouncy castle operator cleared in tragedy that killed six
An Australian bouncy castle operator at the centre of a tragedy in 2021 that killed six children and seriously injured three has been cleared of breaching safety laws. A court found Rosemary Anne Gamble, who runs the business Taz-Zorb, not guilty, ruling that the incident was "due to an unprecedented weather system" that was "impossible to predict". The victims, who were on a bouncy castle at a primary school fun day in Devonport, Tasmania, fell about 10m (33ft) after strong winds blew the castle skywards at a school fair. The verdict on Friday caused anguish among their families, with some crying out in court in disbelief, ABC News reported. Prosecutors had accused Ms Gamble of failing to anchor the castle adequately, but her defence argued she could not have done more to eliminate or reduce hazards that led to the tragedy. Magistrate Robert Webster agreed with the defence and found that the incident happened due to a dust devil - an upward spiralling vortex of air and debris - that was "unforeseen and unforeseeable". "Ms Gamble could have done more or taken further steps, however, given the effects of the unforeseen and unforeseeable dust devil, had she done so, that would sadly have made no difference to the ultimate outcome," the magistrate said. The six children killed in the accident - Addison Stewart, Zane Mellor, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt and Chace Harrison - were aged between 11 and 12. They were all at a Hillcrest Primary School fair when the accident took place on the last day of term before the school holidays in December 2021. Five of the children were on the castle when the gales swept it up and flung it across the school oval. The sixth child, who was waiting in line, died after being struck in the head by the inflatable blower. The tragic accident shattered Devonport, a city on the north coast of Tasmania with some 30,000 residents. Ms Gamble was charged nearly two years after, in November 2023. Andrew Dodt, the father of one of the young victims Peter, said after Friday's verdict that "our hopes are just shattered now". "At the end of the day all I wanted was an apology for my son not coming home, and I'm never going to get it, and that kills me," he said in a statement to local media. "I've been broken for a long time, and I think I'm going to be broken for a lot more." Ms Gamble's lawyer Bethan Frake spoke on her behalf, acknowledging that the incident has caused "scars that will remain for an extremely long time, likely forever". "I am a mother," she said, quoting Ms Gamble. "I can only imagine the pain that other parents are living with each and every day because of this terrible thing that happened." "Their loss is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life." Bouncy castle deaths 'unthinkably heartbreaking' Australia mourns children killed in bouncy castle
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Bouncy castle operator cleared in tragedy that killed six
An Australian bouncy castle operator at the centre of a tragedy in 2021 that killed six children and seriously injured three has been cleared of breaching safety laws. A court found Rosemary Anne Gamble, who runs the business Taz-Zorb, not guilty, ruling that the incident was "due to an unprecedented weather system" that was "impossible to predict". The victims, who were on a bouncy castle at a primary school fun day in Devonport, Tasmania, fell about 10m (33ft) after strong winds blew the castle skywards at a school fair. The verdict on Friday caused anguish among their families, with some crying out in court in disbelief, ABC News reported. Prosecutors had accused Ms Gamble of failing to anchor the castle adequately, but her defence argued she could not have done more to eliminate or reduce hazards that led to the tragedy. Magistrate Robert Webster agreed with the defence and found that the incident happened due to a dust devil - an upward spiralling vortex of air and debris - that was "unforeseen and unforeseeable". "Ms Gamble could have done more or taken further steps, however, given the effects of the unforeseen and unforeseeable dust devil, had she done so, that would sadly have made no difference to the ultimate outcome," the magistrate said. The six children killed in the accident - Addison Stewart, Zane Mellor, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt and Chace Harrison - were aged between 11 and 12. They were all at a Hillcrest Primary School fair when the accident took place on the last day of term before the school holidays in December 2021. Five of the children were on the castle when the gales swept it up and flung it across the school oval. The sixth child, who was waiting in line, died after being struck in the head by the inflatable blower. The tragic accident shattered Devonport, a city on the north coast of Tasmania with some 30,000 residents. Ms Gamble was charged nearly two years after, in November 2023. Andrew Dodt, the father of one of the young victims Peter, said after Friday's verdict that "our hopes are just shattered now". "At the end of the day all I wanted was an apology for my son not coming home, and I'm never going to get it, and that kills me," he said in a statement to local media. "I've been broken for a long time, and I think I'm going to be broken for a lot more." Ms Gamble's lawyer Bethan Frake spoke on her behalf, acknowledging that the incident has caused "scars that will remain for an extremely long time, likely forever". "I am a mother," she said, quoting Ms Gamble. "I can only imagine the pain that other parents are living with each and every day because of this terrible thing that happened." "Their loss is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life." Bouncy castle deaths 'unthinkably heartbreaking' Australia mourns children killed in bouncy castle
