Mine safety ‘whistleblower’ Ryan Lawton faces Biloela court

A Central Queensland mining industry worker, who was sacked after he raised concerns about site safety, then threatened to “kill” his former boss and a supervisor, a court has heard.

A former Central Queensland mining industry worker pleaded guilty in court to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend. Generic image.

A sacked Central Queensland mining industry worker claims his dismissal was the result of him “speaking up” about safety concerns, a court has heard.

Biloela Magistrates Court heard Ryan Peter Lawton, 42, lost his job in July.

It was told that on the day Lawton was sacked, he went home to his Moura residence and started drinking alcohol.

“He went home that night and he decided - and he sat there and he drank, and he drank, and he drank, and at 1.20 in the morning he started this (text message) tirade with his employers,” Lawton’s solicitor Richard Parks said.

Police prosecutor Kelvin Boyd said the boss who dismissed Lawton reported to police that Lawton had, post-sacking, sent “threatening text messages to him and other current employees of the company.”

Mr Boyd said the boss told police that he had to dismiss Lawton from his job “due to poor work performance and absenteeism.”

The prosecutor said Lawton, in one text message after his sacking, told his former boss: “You don’t even have the guts to do it right, what a piece of s*** you are. Hope you rot in hell.”

Mr Boyd said Lawton also called his former boss a “c**t” in one of the texts and sent a message to a leading hand, saying: “I’ll be good tomorrow mate, just need to sleep. But (former work colleagues’ names) they’re dead. I’m going to f***ing kill (name). Make sure you let him know.”

The court heard Lawton sent a text to a supervisor, saying: “You better watch your back you coward, I’m going to f***ing kill you.”

The court was further told the text messages sent by Lawton were raised at a staff meeting.

Lawton pleaded guilty in court to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend.

A mine site operation. Generic image.

Defence lawyer Rick Parks said Lawton, who went to high school in Mackay before doing an apprenticeship as a signwriter and a traineeship as a cadet draftsman, didn’t believe he was sacked in July due to the reasons given by his employer, but instead for “reporting a number of safety issues to the mine managers and they were not followed up - and safety issues that put other employees at risk.”

He said when Lawton, who had no previous offending of this sort sent the text messages, he was “severely” intoxicated and “very, very upset”.

He also said his said his client previously had alcohol issues and battles with ill health.

“My submission is, Your Honour (would) accept that these in fact were words only - they were not things that he would intend to carry out.”

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale noted Lawton had attempted to be a “whistleblower” and after his sacking he “lashed out over a few hours”.

“It would have been different, in my view, if you had of done this over a more extended period... or taken any steps to carry out these threats that your solicitor mentioned were just words,” she said.

Ms Beckinsale placed Lawton on an 18-month good behaviour order with a $1000 recognisance.

No conviction was recorded.