Sentencing for Lyttelton port death

The Mar­itime Union has acknowl­edged the sen­tenc­ing of Lyt­tel­ton Port Com­pa­ny for the 2014 death of Lyt­tel­ton port work­er Brad Fletch­er.

At the Christchurch Dis­trict Court today Judge John Stret­tell award­ed repa­ra­tions of $75,000 and a fine of $63,000 – total penal­ties of $138,000.

The Lyt­tel­ton Port Com­pa­ny plead­ed guilty in June 2015 to charges of fail­ing to take all prac­ti­ca­ble steps to ensure the safe­ty of its employ­ee at work.

Brad Fletch­er died in August 2014 after the col­lapse of a scis­sor lift dur­ing his work in main­te­nance.

Brad Fletch­er was the Pres­i­dent of the Lyt­tel­ton Branch of the Mar­itime Union and had worked for many years at the Port, and was a high­ly respect­ed mem­ber of the local com­mu­ni­ty.

Mar­itime Union of New Zealand Nation­al Sec­re­tary Joe Fleet­wood says the case showed the impor­tance of strength­en­ing New Zealand’s health and safe­ty laws and reg­u­la­tions, and the Mar­itime Union stands by its call for a full inquiry into NZ port safe­ty.