Craig Williams to fight industrial manslaughter charge over death of construction worker Alan Dinning

A Darwin contractor charged over the death of a 60-year-old construction worker will likely seek to have the case thrown out before it goes to trial, a court has heard. Latest.

Darwin contractor Craig Williams outside court on Wednesday. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A Darwin contractor charged over the death of 60-year-old construction worker Alan Dinning in 2020 will likely seek to have the case thrown out before it goes to trial, a court has heard.

Craig Williams faced a committal hearing in the Darwin Local Court on Tuesday where he was not required to enter a plea to a single count of industrial manslaughter.

NT WorkSafe alleges Williams’ Rainbow Beach Constructions “recklessly ignored” warnings of the risk of falling from a height at the two-storey residential site in Bayview, where Mr Dinning fell to his death through a void while moving cabinets into place.

He was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital with head lacerations but later died from his injuries.

On Friday, Williams’ lawyer, Luke Officer, told the court he would be asking judge Ben O’Loughlin to find his client had no case to answer.

“At this stage I’ve indicated to my friend that at least at this point in time there will be a no case submission at the end of the evidence,” he said.

“Subject to, of course, how it rolls out and also appreciating as I do the low threshold that exists.”

Williams will return to court for further evidence and final submissions before Mr O’Loughlin makes his ruling on a date to be fixed.

If the case proceeds to the Supreme Court, it will be the first such trial in the Territory since the industrial manslaughter laws were introduced in February 2020.