Mother in shock after verdict in jumping castle tragedy

The families of six children killed when a jumping castle took flight in a wind gust in Tasmania, as well as those who survived, are still pleading for answers as the verdict was handed down.

A mother has erupted in court after the operator of a jumping castle was found not guilty of health and safety breaches following the deaths of six children.

Rosemary Gamble, the sole operator of Taz-zorb, was charged with failure to comply with health and safety duty after a jumping castle at Hillcrest Primary School was lifted into the air by a freak wind gust on December 16, 2021.

Students Chace Harrison, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Zane Mellor, Addison Stewart, Jye Sheehan and Peter Dodt tragically lost their lives in the incident.

Declean Brown was also seriously injured, along with Beau and another classmate.

Rosemary Gamble. Picture: Ethan James/AAP

Magistrate Robert Webster appeared via video link from Hobart on Friday, and in a short address to the court said he was not satisfied the threshold of evidence required to satisfy the charges had been met.

He told the defendant, Rosemary Gamble she was free to go.

After the verdict was read out, Zane’s mother began shouting from the public gallery.

“It stays with you forever, what you have done,” the woman shouted.

“My child, they will follow you until you are dead.

”My son Zane Mellor I hope it haunts you, I hope you see them every single time they miss a Christmas miss a birthday it’s because of you.”

Addison Stewart.

Jye Sheehan.

After the proceedings were finished and the public gallery had emptied Ms Gamble burst into tears.

Ahead of the verdict John Medcraft, whose son Beau suffered broken arms and wrists when he was thrown from the jumping castle, said the trauma would be ongoing, no matter what verdict was handed down.

“No-one is going to get closure, but we would like some kind of explanation about who, or what was at fault,” he said.

“We want to know if there’s anything that could have been done differently.”

Peter Dodt.

Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones.

The Crayon Playland jumping castle involved in the tragedy was purchased online from a Chinese company for about $3500.

On the day of the tragedy, it was held down by four pegs, despite the jumping castle having eight tether points.

Mr Medcraft said he was still devastated that star pickets were not used.

“They said in court that the jumping castle only came with four pegs, so they didn’t need any more. But star pickets would have only cost $20,” he said.

“We need to look at stuff being imported from China, just because it came with four pegs doesn’t mean you just rely on the manufacturer and say everything is all right.”

Chace Harrison.

Zane Mellor.

Magistrate Robert Webster heard from multiple expert witnesses about whether extra pegs, or star pickets, may have prevented the tragedy.

Mechanical engineer Roderick McDonald told the court that the pegs and jumping castle did not comply with Australian standards, with the tragedy occurring at “relatively low wind speeds”.

Mr McDonald also testified that if eight star pickets were used to anchor the jumping castle then it would not have taken flight.

Beau Medcraft.

Defence witness, Professor David Eager told the court that no amount of pegs could have avoided the incident.

He claimed that Ms Gamble showed “smarts” by downloading an instruction manual from the manufacturer East Inflatables website when none was supplied when it was imported.

Overflow rooms were set up at the Devonport Magistrates Court so that the families of the victims could attend.

The heartbreaking case was just the start of the legal journey, with a Coronial investigation and several civil lawsuits expected to follow.

Originally published as Mother in shock after verdict in jumping castle tragedy