Hillcrest jumping castle tragedy: Court to hear final legal submissions in case against Rosemary Gamble
A court will hear final legal submissions in a case against the operator of a jumping castle at the centre of a tragedy that killed six primary school students.
Chace Harrison, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Zane Mellor, Addison Stewart, Jye Sheehan and Peter Dodt died after the incident in Tasmania in December 2021.
Three other students were injured in the accident at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport which made global headlines.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.They were enjoying end-of-year celebrations on the school’s oval when a wind gust lifted the castle and several inflatable balls into the air.
Rosemary Gamble, who was charged in November 2023, has pleaded not guilty to one count of failure to comply with health and safety duty.
Lawyers on both sides of the case will make their final submissions on Monday, following a 10-day hearing in Devonport Magistrates Court in November.
Gamble was accused of failing to properly secure the equipment, with the court told pegs were used in four of the castle’s eight anchorage points.
During the hearing, the court was told a “mini-tornado” lifted the castle several metres into the air, with one witness saying it travelled 75m across the oval.
It was also alleged Gamble had other means available, such as star pickets, to tether the castle but didn’t use them.
Gamble’s lawyer Chris Dockray previously the court she only received four pegs when she bought the castle from manufacturer East Inflatables in 2015.
Mr Dockray argued none of the tethering methods proposed by the prosecution would have changed the outcome due to the wind’s strength and unexpected nature.
There was conflicting evidence from engineers about whether the castle would have withstood the wind if Gamble had used eight star pickets to anchor it.
According to court documents, seven students were on the castle when a significant weather event dislodged it.
They fell from the castle, while a blower attached to the castle to keep it inflated struck a nearby student.
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