Guard dogs menaced worker before meter reader killed
Robyn Wuth |
Two notoriously aggressive guard dogs menaced a worker days before mauling a meter reader to death at a remote property, an inquest has been told.
Kane Minion, 42, was working for Energy Queensland around Christmas in 2022 when he was fatally attacked at an equipment hire property at Greenbank, south of Brisbane.
Almost three years later, his devastated fiancee Toni Baird, family and friends attended an inquest seeking closure.
“They have been looking for answers for a very long time now … hopefully, this marks the beginning of the end,” Ms Baird’s lawyer Travis Schultz said outside Southport’s Coroners Court on Monday.
Loved ones packed the court for the inquest’s first day, with a photo of a smiling Mr Minion featuring on coroner Amanda Bain’s desk.
“They really do hope that this brings about change, meaningful change to ensure that frontline workers are protected and that this never happens again,” Mr Schultz said.
The dogs involved in the attack, a bull mastiff and a ridgeback, were kept behind two security fences at the company Springfield Hire, owned by the Morrow family.
The animals were described as “fiercely protective” with visitors told not to enter without prior notice and a warning sign placed at the property’s front entrance.
Technician Brian Harnett had been working at Action Pumps when he was called to Springfield Hire to replace a repaired pump days before the fatal attack.
The company had called ahead to ask owners Dean and Paula Morrow to ensure the dogs were secure and were assured that they would be put away.
“We were warned already about the dogs … it was a known thing that the dogs weren’t friendly,” Mr Harnett said.
It was only after letting himself through the first security gate Mr Harnett realised the dogs had not been secured.
“I looked up and they were rushing toward me,” he said.
“It was only a couple of seconds before they were at my car door barking and mouthing at the window.”
Mr Harnett honked his horn to raise the alarm before Mr Morrow’s teenage son, Zane, arrived to curb the canines.
“He apologised and said he forgot to put the dogs away.”
The technician chose not to report the incident to police or animal control officers.
“I considered it, but in that line of work, we have incidents quite often. I thought if I did (report it), it would become a big problem for everybody,” he said.
“It was a genuine mistake. In hindsight, maybe I should have.”
Owner Dean Morrow said there were a number of dogs at the property, but they were “more like family pets” than guard dogs.
He denied the animals were aggressive, dismissing the attack on the pump technician as “nothing major”.
Under questioning, he said the “Guard Dogs On Duty Do Not Enter” warning sign had been placed on the front gate for public safety.
“The sign was to give notification and remind people coming around that we had dogs on site – pet dogs,” Mr Morrow said.
“They would bark at people and make them feel uncomfortable.”
Earlier, the court had been told Mr Minion had been a meter reader for seven years and had received dog safety training.
The court was told the Morrows had been advised by email the meter reader needed to attend the property and the dogs should be secured.
But Mr Morrow relied on his wife Paula to advise him of visitors to the property and pair’s relationship had broken down.
Outside the court, Mr Morrow refused to answer questions about the fatal attack or apologise to Mr Minion’s family.
AAP
