Five years ago, off-duty policeman Andy Jones was killed in a freak accident while watching his son play soccer. The father-of-four was at Mitchelton Football Club in Brisbane when scaffolding fell on him and crushed him. Doctors at the time battled to save his life, but he was pronounced dead soon after arrival at hospital.
Widow's Statement at Coroner's Court
Five years later, his wife, Rhianne Jones, told Brisbane Coroner's Court of the 'only saving grace' during an inquest into his death. That being that Mr Jones died doing something he loved - watching one of his children play soccer.
'Andy had a real passion for soccer,' she explained, while reading out a family statement on Tuesday morning. 'It was a big part of his life and he was heavily involved in the Mitchelton soccer club as an assistant coach, a volunteer, and a player. He gave his time generously to the club and to the community, and it meant a lot to him to be part of that environment.'
Impact on the Family
Ms Jones also spoke of the impact her late husband's death has had on her life after that fateful day. 'Since then I feel as though I am constantly in survival mode, trying to cope day-to-day with the loss of my husband and the ongoing impact on our family,' she said. Now nearly five years on from his death, Ms Jones said 'the grief doesn't go away'. 'Since Andy's passing, I am not the same person … Despite talking through my grief, the reality of losing Andy has not changed. I've had to navigate my own grief while also carrying the grief of my daughters. I've taken on the roles of mother and father … This is not the life I had chosen or expected.'
Company Fined Over $400,000
Since the incident, Mobile Scaffolds Queensland Pty Ltd was fined over $400,000 as they were found to be responsible for Mr Jones' death. Magistrate Joseph Pinder found that the company failed to take the appropriate measures to ensure the scaffolding was secure. Company director Christopher Sweedman gave evidence at the inquest on Monday under the condition that the evidence not be used against him in any other court proceedings. At the inquest, he called for tower scaffoldings to be banned from public spaces, saying it was rare that they would be used outside of construction sites. He went on to say that the height of the scaffolding was considered generally low-risk, but had not considered that being in an open field would have made it more susceptible to high winds.
Expert Testimony and Next Steps
On Tuesday, Aaron Poole, an engineering expert, told the inquest that he thought extra support measures should be mandated for all tower scaffolds used in public places where strong winds could occur. Following Ms Jones' family statement, counsel assisting Corinne Leach said the parties would provide submissions at a later date due to delays in accessing the transcript. Coroner Megan Fairweather said, 'I appreciate it's been five years and we will do our best to close this inquest with findings as soon as possible.'
