Shane Matherson tells court he ‘had no idea’ he’d run over Thebarton scrap metal yard employee a second time

A man blocking an exit at closing time caused an angry confrontation and led to a scrap metal yard employee being twice hit by a car, a court has heard.

A man accused of twice running over a Thebarton scrap metal yard worker was “panicked” by employees surrounding his car and didn’t see his injured victim lying on the road, a court has heard.

As he prepared his escape from a scrap metal trade deal gone wrong, Shane Anthony Matherson, 53, told the court he was more focused on getting “out of the street”.

The court has heard that after Mr Matherson struck Denron Metals employee Craig Hatchard with his car in his rush to leave, he headed up a dead-end street and performed a U-turn, but didn’t realise he’d hit him a second time.

“There’s no way I would hit anybody,” Mr Matherson, from Blair Athol, said.

“I panicked. The only thing on my mind was to just get out of that street.

“As I got halfway up the street I noticed four or five of them standing in the middle – one had a machete, one had an axe and I think one had some sort of pole.

“I didn’t see Craig Hatchard on the ground – I really didn’t want to run him over.”

Shane Matherson leaving the District Court on May 13. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Mr Matherson is standing trial in the District Court before Judge Geraldine Davison without a jury, charged with endangering the life of Denron Metals employee Craig Hatchard on March 6, 2021. He has pleaded not guilty.

Mr Matherson told the court he called the business about 10.30am on the Saturday to ask when they would shut and was told 12pm.

“(I arrived) at 11:50am – something like that – maybe 11:52am to be precise,” he said.

“I drove past and the gate was locked. I knew it had two entrances so I drove around to the left just to see if they were there and that gate was open.

“There was a guy standing there and I asked him – I said ‘please’. He said, ‘you’re not listening d**khead, move your f**king car’.”

The court had previously heard Mr Matherson was blocking the exit while other customers were trying to leave the scrap yard.

Last Tuesday, prosecution told the court Mr Hatchard had informed Mr Matherson the business was shut, before swearing and telling him to move his car.

Mr Hatchard then hit the windscreen of the van – causing it to crack – prompting Mr Matherson to drive the van forward, the court heard.

He is then alleged to have rammed Mr Hatchard with his van, pinning him between the van and a white vehicle parked on the roadside. Mr Hatchard then fell to the ground on the road.

Police interview employees at the scrap metal yard in 2021. Picture: Emma Brasier

They alleged Mr Matherson then drove his car down the street’s cul-de-sac and returned at speed, hitting the employee a second time – running over his arm and shoulder.

On Tuesday, Mr Matherson told the court he feared he would get “really injured” after one Denron Metals employee allegedly yelled “get the f**king fork (forklift)”.

“As I started to reverse, there was about four or five guys (who) started hitting my car and yelling out all sorts of things. One yelled out “get the f**king fork,” he said.

“I honestly thought that they were going to attack me one way or the other, and if that fork came out, I’m quite sure that I would have been.

“I had images of a fork blocking me off, putting its tongs straight through my car. I was fearing for my life.”

The trial continues on Wednesdays where both parties will present their closing arguments.