Grieving mother Susan Chappell has watched confronting CCTV footage of her son's final moments before a glass roof he was working on at a Perth university campus collapsed.
Apprentice carpenter Jonathan Hartshorn, 23, died in October 2020 when a steel structure he was installing for the roof of Curtin University's new $110 million School of Design and Built Environment building partially caved in. He fell 20 meters (65 feet) to the ground and died at the scene.
Never-before-seen footage released by the Western Australian courts on Thursday showed Mr. Hartshorn and a colleague working on top of the five-storey building moments before the tragedy. The partly-constructed glass roof gave way without warning and came crashing down, panel by panel.
Fellow tradesmen working on scaffolding platforms on lower levels watched helplessly in horror as the distressing scenes unfolded.
Rikki Issitt, the second tradesman on the roof, survived the fall but spent nearly four weeks in hospital and has been unable to work since the tragedy. He has also endured survivor's guilt.
"It was horrible to watch. It was witnessing my son die," Ms. Chappell told reporters after seeing the CCTV for the first time in court.
The CCTV was released one day after contractor Elsdon finally accepted responsibility for the collapse, almost six years after the incident. The company admitted it fabricated faulty steel frameworks, ignored mandatory compliance testing, and failed to employ qualified welders.
Ms. Chappell and her family are seeking the maximum penalty for Elsdon when the court hands down its sentence on October 8. While no one will face jail time over the tragedy, the company faces substantial fines of up to $2 million.
Amendments to Western Australia's industrial manslaughter laws to include jail time were fast-tracked following Mr. Hartshorn's death. "I'm in such disbelief how the building was able to be put up," Ms. Chappell stated. "I really don't care that they pleaded guilty at the last minute. They should have done it earlier."
Mr. Issitt recalled the moment he fell through the roof, thinking he was going to die. His extensive injuries included breaks to both arms and legs, a fractured spine, and a broken pelvis. "The emotional consequences have been devastating," he said.