SafeWork NSW v Karl O’Sullivan [2024] NSWDC 142

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: SafeWork NSW v Karl O'Sullivan [2024] NSWDC 142 Hearing dates: 17 April 2024 Date of orders: 1 May 2024 Decision date: 01 May 2024 Jurisdiction: Criminal Before: Russell SC DCJ Decision: (1) Karl O'Sullivan was convicted on 17 April 2024. (2) The appropriate fine is $10,000 but that will be reduced by 25% to reflect the early plea of guilty. (3) Order Karl O'Sullivan to pay a fine of $7,500. (4) Order pursuant to Section 122(2) of the Fines Act 1996 (NSW) that 50% of the fine is to be paid to the prosecutor. (5) Order Karl O'Sullivan 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 – victim impact statement – totality COSTS – prosecution costs OTHER – forklift crushed truck driver pedestrian at worksite – forklift parked on a slope – forklift rolled down slope – forklift handbrake not applied – forklift engine not turned off – forklift steer wheels left on an angle – forklift wheels not chocked – forklift tynes not lowered – fatal injuries Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) ss 18, 52A Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 3A, 7, 21A, 22, 26, 27, 28, 30A, 30B, 30D, 30E Fines Act 1996 (NSW), ss 6, 122 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), ss 3, 28, 32, 171 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 Hesketh v R [2021] NSWCCA; (2021) 106 NSWLR 200 Johnson v The Queen [2004] HCA 15; (2004) 78 ALJR 616 Mahdi Jahandideh v The Queen [2014] NSWCCA 178 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 Unity Pty Limited v SafeWork NSW [2018] NSWCCA 266 Veen v The Queen (No. 2) [1988] HCA 14; (1988) 164 CLR 465 Texts Cited: Australian Standard AS2359.2 Powered Industrial Trucks, 2013 Safe Work Australia General Guide for Industrial Lift Trucks, July 2014 Safe Work Australia General Guide for Workplace Traffic Management, July 2014 SafeWork NSW Safety Alert, Uncontrolled Movement of Vehicles, 5 December 2017 Category: Sentence Parties: SafeWork NSW (Prosecutor) Karl O'Sullivan (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Magee (Prosecutor) E Beljic (Defendant)