Defence strategy outlined for Taz-Zorb owner Rosemary Gamble in Hillcrest tragedy case

The defence lawyer of the Hillcrest jumping castle operator has revealed how the team will enlist two experts to examine the school grounds and the inflatable device at the centre of the tragedy.

Rosemary Gamble (middle) leaving the Devonport Magistrates Court. Picture: Simon McGuire.

A magistrate has ordered that the jumping castle at the centre of the Hillcrest tragedy be made availble for investigation as its operator gets set to face a lengthy hearing.

A hearing has been tentatively scheduled for September to determine whether the operator of the jumping castle at the centre of the Hillcrest tragedy breached workplace health and safety regulations.

Rosemary Gamble appeared via telephone at the Devonport Magistrates Court on Friday.

Ms Gamble has previously pleaded not guilty to one count of failure to comply with health and safety duty category 2.

A category two offence is when a person is exposed to a risk of death or serious injury or illness.

Defence lawyer Chris Dockray said his team would be enlisting two experts, a geotechnical engineer and an inflatable device expert, to conduct inspections of both the jumping castle and the school grounds where the incident occurred.

The jumping castle involved in the Hillcrest tragedy is currently under the possession of police.

He expected that reports from both experts would be completed by the end of June.

Students Zane Mellor, Peter Dodt, Jalailah Jayne-Marie Jones, Addison Stewart, Jye Sheehan, and Chace Harrison were killed at Hillcrest Primary Schoolon December 16, 2021, after being flung about 10m into the air while inside the inflatable jumping castle, with three other children also injured in the incident.

Families of the victims were in court on Friday.

TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos: DECEMBER 17 2021: People gather outside the Hillcrest Primary School. Picture: NCA Newswire / Grant Viney

Mr Dockray told the court he had received documents from the State about the case.

“As you can imagine, the disclosure of the documentation has been very substantial, and that, perhaps, is an understatement,” he said.

“There are many thousands of pages.”

Devonport Magistrates Court

Magistrate Fairley, Mr Dockray and the prosecution agreed that a “ballpark” estimate of two weeks was appropriate for a hearing.

“After hearing what I had put to me by both the defence and prosecution, it seems to me that if we look tentatively for the hearing to commence at the beginning of September, that would provide, I hope, sufficient time for all the matters to be addressed and attended to,” Magistrate Fairley said.

September 2 was pencilled as the start date for the hearing, subject to change.

The matter has been listed for mention at the Devonport Magistrates Court on July 5 at 9.45am.

However, Magistrate Fairley said he would relist it for “further directions on an urgent basis” if the experts have issues accessing the school grounds or the jumping castle.