A Tasmanian logging worker has received a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of endangering an environmental protester by cutting one of her safety ropes as she sat 20 metres above the ground.
43-year-old Patrick Mellor from Geeveston was on Monday sentenced to three months behind bars, suspended for two years, for the assault on Bob Brown Foundation activist Helena Griffiths in 2023.
The Hobart Magistrates Court heard that Griffiths was suspended from a logging machine when workers from TP Bennett and Sons arrived at the site for work.
Magistrate Jackie Hartnett said Mellor, frustrated with the protestors, cut one of the four ropes supporting Griffiths “despite warnings of the danger” and then “walked away casually” while sipping from his cup.
“I do not believe you seriously intended for her to fall to the ground, but for her to drop and disrupt protesting actions,” Hartnett told the court, as reported by the ABC.
“Your actions were not planned, [they were] a spontaneous act out of anger and frustration on that day.”
The court heard Mellor had been experiencing personal difficulties at the time and had not demonstrated remorse for his actions.
“Dealing with frustration in this way is unacceptable,” Hartnett said.
Griffiths, who was recorded screaming during the incident, was caught by her safety harness and escaped without serious injuries.
Following the ruling, Tammy Bennett from TP Bennett and Sons said it highlights the “unacceptable harassment and intimidation” often faced by forestry workers “just for doing their jobs”.
“For decades, hardworking men and women in the forest industry have endured relentless bullying from the Bob Brown Foundation, an organisation that raises funds under the guise of charity while encouraging illegal workplace invasions and puts everyone in danger,” she said.
“Every person deserves the right to go to work, earn a living for their family and return home safely without the fear of being targeted by activists.”
Bob Brown Foundation Campaigns Manager Jenny Weber said the “onus is on everyone …. to condemn this violence”.
“We want this to send a loud and clear message to everyone that violence against anyone is never acceptable,” she said.
“Violence against our fellow forest defenders in protests is always unacceptable.”
