An inflatable expert will continue giving evidence today at a criminal hearing into the operator of the jumping castle at the centre of the 2021 Hillcrest Primary School tragedy. Yesterday the expert witness told the magistrates court the defendant, Rosemary Gamble, was not a competent operator.
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00:00The Devonport Magistrates Court has heard the Hillcrest tragedy could have been avoided
00:07if a different anchorage system was used. That's according to Roderick McDonald, an
00:12inflatables expert, who will continue giving evidence in the criminal hearing against the
00:17castle's operator today. Nearly three years ago, during an end-of-year celebration at
00:22Hillcrest Primary School, a jumping castle was propelled into the air, killing six children
00:27and injuring three others. Its operator, Rosemary Ann Gamble, has pleaded not guilty to failing
00:34to comply with a health and safety duty, with the defence arguing she took all the reasonable
00:39steps she ought to have known to ensure everyone was safe. The court has heard four pegs were
00:44used to secure it, at half of its eight anchor points, and that star pickets were available
00:50on the day, but weren't used as they were considered a tripping hazard. Mr McDonald
00:54told the court if eight star pickets were used instead of the four pegs, the castle
00:59would have endured the wind event. He also said if Ms Gamble used eight of the manufacturer's
01:05pegs, it potentially could have withstood it. He also said she failed to meet a number
01:10of Australian standards and was not a competent operator of a jumping castle, but her defence
01:16claims she acted on the manufacturer's instructions. Mr McDonald will continue giving evidence
01:21today with further questioning from Ms Gamble's defence team. The hearing is expected to wrap
01:27up at the end of the week, though it could be next year that a verdict is handed down.