Three people who forced the evacuation of thousands of employees at Woodside’s Perth headquarters after letting off “stench gas” in protest of the company’s $50 billion Burrup Hub projects have narrowly avoided jail.
Emil Davey, Kristen Morrissey and Joana Partyka pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the incident, where a dozen firefighters swarmed the building to investigate the smell just after 10am on June 1, 2023.
Disrupt Burrup Hub protester Kristen Morrissey outside Woodside’s headquarters in June 2023.Credit: Jesinta Burton
Morrissey had let off canisters of the gas in the company’s Mount Street building with the support of Partyka, while Davey stood outside capturing the evacuation on camera.
The substance, typically used by mining companies for an emergency, forced Woodside’s workers to flee across a nearby pedestrian bridge and to an adjacent park.
Police officers arrived a short time later, escorting Morrissey from the building and into a police car as she yelled at those around her to “act now”.
Disrupt Burrup Hub protestor Kristen Morrissey being escorted from Woodside’s headquarters.Credit: Jesinta Burton
The 51-year-old music teacher was also accused of yelling at employees as they were being evacuated saying, “how does it feel to be gassed out of your building?” and, “how does it feel to have gas in your face?” – which she denied.
Morrissey was charged with causing poison to be administered and creating false belief, while Davey and Partyka were each charged with one count of creating false belief.
On Wednesday during their sentencing, District Court Judge Hayley Cormann told the trio that although their motivations may have been “altruistic”, it did not mean they shouldn’t be held to account.
“The harm to the community outweigh your altruistic motivations,” she said, adding the incident put stress on the employees, as well as a strain on emergency services resources after firefighters and police were deployed to the building.
The area was cordoned off by authorities, with the stench lingering for several hours.
Disrupt Burrup Hub protesters Kristen Morrissey and Joana Partyka outside court after a previous appearance.Credit: Jesinta Burton
Officers from the police tactical response team’s bomb response unit examined and removed the source of the gas alongside government chemists.
The court was also told the gas impacted about 22 people, causing headaches and nausea, and forced them to seek medical attention.
One pregnant woman was particularly concerned about her unborn baby after inhaling the gas.
But in handing down her sentencing on Wednesday, Cormann said none of the trio held any regret or remorse for their actions.
She said their offending was so serious she could not impose any other penalty than terms of imprisonment, but that they would be suspended.
Morrissey was sentenced to 11 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. Partyka was sentenced to seven months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and Davey was given a community-based order which meant he would have to undertake volunteer work.
The stunt was one in a series of protest actions against Woodside and its plans to prolong and expand gas production on the Burrup Peninsula near Karratha in WA’s north-west, where its two gas export plants are located.
In late 2021, Woodside committed to the $18 billion Scarborough project that will see the capacity of the Pluto gas export plant doubled.
In May, the company got the federal government’s blessing to extend the life of its North West Shelf project for another 45 years.
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