R v EK Fabrication Pty Limited; R v Rafayel El-Khoury [2020] NSWDC 679

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v EK Fabrication Pty Limited; R v Rafayel El-Khoury [2020] NSWDC 679 Hearing dates: 1 October 2020 Date of orders: 6 November 2020 Decision date: 06 November 2020 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Strathdee DCJ Decision: (1) The defendants are convicted. (2) The appropriate fine for EK Fabrication Pty Limited is $240,000.00 and that will be reduced by 25% to reflect a plea of guilty. (3) Accordingly, I order EK Fabrication Pty Limited pay a fine of $180,000.00. (4) The appropriate fine for Rafayel El-Khoury is $20,000.00 and that will be reduced by 25% to reflect the early plea. (5) Accordingly, I order Rafayel El-Khoury pay a fine of $15,000.00. (6) Pursuant to s 122 (2) of the Fines Act 1996 (NSW), 50% of the fines imposed are to be paid to the prosecutor. (7) I make no order as to costs. Catchwords: CRIME – prosecution – work, health and safety – duty of persons undertaking business – duty of employers – risk of death or serious injury – worker injured FINES – capacity of defendant to pay fines – defendant to demonstrate incapacity SENTENCING – discount for utility of the plea – remorse - contrition Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Fines Act 1996 (NSW) Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth) Cases Cited: Bulga Underground Operations v Nash [2016] NSWCCA 37; (2016) NSWLR 338 Capral Aluminium Limited v WorkCover Authority of NSW [2000] NSWIRComm 71; (2000) 49 NSWLR 610 Environmental Protection Authority v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 Fisher v Samaras Industries Pty Ltd (1996) 82 IR 384 Inspector Beacham v J & L Marble Pty Ltd [2009] NSWIRComm 100 Inspector Howard v Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd [2009] NSWIRComm 92 Jahandideh v R [2014] NSWCCA 178 Kirk v Industrial Commission of New South Wales [2010] HCA 1 Lawrenson Diecasting Pty Ltd v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales (1999) 90 IR 464 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357 McColl v John Watson Building Services Pty Ltd [2004] NSWIR Comm 353; (2004) 137 IR 310 Morrison v Powercoal Pty Limited & Anor (No.3) [2005] NSWIRComm 61 Nash v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited; Attorney General for NSW v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited [2017] NSWCCA 96 Orbit Drilling v The Queen; Smith v The Queen [2012] VSCA 82 R v Cage [2006] NSWCCA 304 R v Miria [2009] NSWCCA 68 SafeWork NSW v Emu Group Pty Limited [2019] NSWDC 537 SafeWork NSW v HCM Building Pty Limited [2019] NSWDC 632 Veen v R (No. 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465 WorkCover Authority (NSW) v Profab Industries Pty Ltd (2000) 49 NSWLR 700 Texts Cited: SafeWork Australia: Construction work – steel erection information sheet (January 2016) Category: Sentence Parties: SafeWork NSW (Prosecutor) EK Fabrication Pty Limited (Defendant) Rafayel El-Khoury (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Ms Lee (for the Prosecutor) Mr C O'Neill (for the Defendants) Solicitors: Mr Rhys Wilkins, SafeWork NSW, Department of Customer Service (for the Prosecutor) Mr Christopher Habra, Centurion Lawyers (for the Defendants File Number(s): 2019/00083689 SafeWork NSW v EK Fabrication Pty Ltd 2019/00083588 SafeWork NSW v Rafayel El-Khoury