Luke Marshall: Simplot manager slapped ex-employee at pub
A Tasmanian manager at food processing giant Simplot has pleaded guilty to assaulting an ex-employee of his after a boozy night at the RSL. The pair had longstanding bad blood. DETAILS >
A manager at the Ulverstone factory of food-processing giant Simplot has pleaded guilty to assaulting an ex-employee of his by slapping him to the face, with a court hearing there was longstanding enmity between the pair.
Ulverstone man Luke Barrie Marshall, 42, pleaded guilty in Devonport Magistrates Court to a single charge of common assault.
Marshall, who was a team leader at Simplot for more than a decade, before he was demoted after the current offending, was placed on a 12-month good-behaviour bond with no conviction recorded.
This was in light of his lack of relevant criminal history, his “industrious” nature, the fact his annual salary dropped by $25,000 per annum due to his demotion, and the history of bad-blood between him and his victim.
The court was told the offence occurred at Ulverstone RSL Club at 11.15pm on December 17, 2021.
Marshall’s victim was a former employee of his who was let go from Simplot in mid-2021 after Marshall took concerns over the employee’s performance to HR.
As Marshall left the RSL, he directed words at the ex-employee, which led to a verbal confrontation. The pair came face-to-face in the bar area, at which point Marshall slapped the man once to the face before leaving the venue.
It was submitted on Marshall’s behalf that the role of team leader was a difficult one, due to the “chummy” nature of the team he led. Marshall was a “little bit of an outsider” and this caused friction.
The ex-employee in question, the court was told, seemed to “delight in causing difficulties” for the defendant, including by refusing orders and “dragging his heels” in completing tasks.
This endured for a “couple of years,” the court was told, until the final HR complaint from Marshall led to the employee’s termination.
On the night in question, Marshall felt “uncomfortable” after the ex-employee arrived at the RSL, as he noticed the man giving him the “death stare”.
Marshall had originally pleaded not guilty, believing a defence of provocation was open to him, but subsequently he reversed his plea.
“Small slap or not, it was entirely inappropriate,” his defence lawyer told the court.
Marshall was a “much happier person” in his new role at Simplot, as he no longer had to deal with “unhappy workers”.
