SafeWork NSW v Bennett (No.2) [2022] NSWDC 453

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: SafeWork NSW v Bennett (No.2) [2022] NSWDC 453 Hearing dates: 4 October 2022 Date of orders: 7 October 2022 Decision date: 07 October 2022 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Russell SC DCJ Decision: In District Court proceedings 2020/303207 (s 19(1) Summons): (1) Mr Nigel Bennett was convicted on 12 August 2022. (2) Order Mr Nigel Bennett to pay a fine of $2,500. (3) Order pursuant to Section 122(2) of the Fines Act 1996 (NSW) that 50% of the fine is to be paid to the prosecutor. (4) Order Mr Nigel Bennett to pay the prosecutor's costs. In District Court proceedings 2020/303225 (s 19(2) Summons): (1) Mr Nigel Bennett was convicted on 12 August 2022. (2) Order Mr Nigel Bennett to pay a fine of $12,500. (3) Order pursuant to Section 122(2) of the Fines Act 1996 (NSW) that 50% of the fine is to be paid to the prosecutor. (4) Order Mr Nigel Bennett to pay the prosecutor's costs. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – prosecution – work health and safety – duty of persons undertaking business – risk of death or serious injury SENTENCE – objective seriousness – mitigating factors – aggravating factors – plea of guilty – general deterrence – specific deterrence – capacity to pay appropriate penalty – parity – totality COSTS – prosecution costs OTHER – defendant engaged as a contractor to operate a crane to load a dismantled centrifuge onto a flatbed truck – boom of the crane came into contact with, or in close proximity to, live overhead power lines – two persons suffered electric shocks – failure to forbid unqualified worker operating crane – failure to provide an appropriately qualified crane driver – failure to instruct worker to undertake site induction – failure to undertake joint safety assessment – failure to ensure crane was not in the vicinity of overhead power lines – failure to require dedicated spotter and/or qualified dogman – failure to conduct site-specific risk assessment Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 3A, 21A, Fines Act 1996 (NSW), ss 6, 122 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), ss 3, 19, 32 Cases Cited: Baumer v R [1988] HCA 67; (1988) 166 CLR 51 Bulga Underground Operations Pty Limited v Nash [2016] NSWCCA 37; (2016) 93 NSWLR 338 BW v R [2011] NSWCCA 176 Camilleri's Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v EPA (1993) 32 NSWLR 683 Capral Aluminium Limited v WorkCover Authority of New South Wales [2000] NSWIRComm 71; (2000) 49 NSWLR 610 DPP v Gregory [2011] VSCA 145; (2011) 34 VR 1 EPA v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 Green v The Queen [2011] HCA 49; (2011) 244 CLR 462 Jimmy v The Queen [2010] NSWCCA 60; (2010) 77 NSWLR 540 Johnson v The Queen [2004] HCA 15; (2004) 78 ALJR 616 Mahdi Jahandideh v The Queen [2014] NSWCCA 178 Markarian v The Queen [2005] HCA 25; (2005) 228 CLR 357 Mill v The Queen [1988] HCA 70; (1988) 166 CLR 59 Muldrock v The Queen [2011] HCA 39; (2011) 244 CLR 120 Nash v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited; Attorney General for NSW v Silver City Drilling (NSW) Pty Limited [2017] NSWCCA 96 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610 R v McNaughton [2006] NSWCCA 242; (2006) 66 NSWLR 566 R v Wilkinson (No. 5) [2009] NSWSC 432 SafeWork NSW v Arkwood (Gloucester) Pty Limited (No. 2) [2022] NSWDC 201 SafeWork NSW v Bennett [2022] NSWDC 332 SafeWork NSW v Elgas Ltd [2021] NSWDC 101 Unity Pty Limited v SafeWork NSW [2018] NSWCCA 266 Veen v The Queen (No. 2) [1988] HCA 14; (1988) 164 CLR 465 WorkCover Authority (Inspector Howard) v Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Limited [2009] NSWIRComm 92; (2009) 186 IR 125 WorkCover Authority of NSW (Inspector Carmody) v Consolidated Constructions Pty Limited [2001] NSWIR Comm 263; (2001) 109 IR 316 Category: Sentence Parties: SafeWork NSW (Prosecutor) Nigel Bennett (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Scott (Prosecutor) N Bennett (Self-represented) (Defendant)