NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

'Hellish': Pike River families in court

By Greymouth Star staff
NZ Herald·
4 Jul, 2013 07:38 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Anna Osborne reads out her victim impact statement, supported by friend Tom Daly. Photo / Greymouth Star

Anna Osborne reads out her victim impact statement, supported by friend Tom Daly. Photo / Greymouth Star

The state wants Pike River Coal Ltd to pay massive fines and reparation of up to $125,000 for each of the 29 men who died in a horrific workplace explosion.

Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment lawyer Mark Zarifeh told a sentencing hearing at Greymouth District Court today the Pike River tragedy was the "employer-related disaster of a generation".

He submitted that Pike River Coal should pay cumulative fines at or near maximum levels for all nine charges it faces for breaching health and safety laws, as well as reparation of $60,000-125,000 for each bereaved family and substantial reparation for the two men who survived.

But Judge Jane Farish questioned whether the court could order fines and reparations from Pike River Coal if it was effectively not trading, and was an "empty shell" of a company.

"It seems morally unjust that this company, within months of this incident occurring, can shut up shop without doing anything to provide for these men's families," she said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The judge found the company guilty in April and will deliver her sentence at 10am tomorrow morning.

Pike River family members shed tears for their loved ones today and expressed anger at Pike River Coal for not taking full responsibility for the November 19, 2010 tragedy.

Twenty victim impact statements were prepared, with several read aloud by family members in court.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Speaking first, Kath Monk, supported by her husband Bernie and daughter Olivia, talked about their grief and frustration, with a photograph of their son Michael placed against the podium.

"Michael's death was a shattering experience, and nothing can prepare you for this," she said.

"We lived a nightmare ... It's parents' instinctive duty to protect their children, and we were not able to do this."

Anna Osborne wept openly as she spoke of her late husband Milton.

Discover more

New Zealand

Camera lowered into Pike River mine

08 Apr 04:36 AM
New Zealand|politics

Angry Pike families denounce report

10 Apr 10:50 PM
New Zealand

Govt releases plan on Pike River inquiry's progress

23 Apr 06:41 AM
New Zealand

Remembering those killed on the job

27 Apr 09:10 PM

"I find it immensely frustrating. I feel I have been dictated to, even in writing this statement," she said, referring to Pike River Coal.

She had ongoing health problems and did not know how she would cope without Milton's support. She broke down when talking about trying to bring home her husband's remains.

"I so desperately need closure."

She said Pike River management "pushed the miners and contractors to their deaths".

Tammie O'Neill said she and her late husband Peter were two weeks shy of their third anniversary at the time of the accident.

"I have difficulty sleeping ... wondering what he was thinking, did he suffer, and what went wrong."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Malcolm Sr and Jane Campbell wrote from Scotland that their son Malcolm was "the type of person who could walk into a room and make anyone smile".

Since the disaster, Malcolm Sr had difficulty doing his job in a quarry because he was traumatised by the sound of the blasts.

"Knowing he is on the other side of the world from us is hellish."

Several members of Allan Dixon's family wrote statements about the pain of losing him.

His brother Gordon said Pike River Coal "let us down with all the lies and false promises". Allan's partner Robin Henna said: "Anger is part of my life. I don't trust anything anymore."

Brenda Rackley wrote that her life crashed when she lost her partner John Hale, and she has since had difficulty holding her job and household together.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said Mr Hale was concerned about safety conditions at the mine, calling conditions "chaos (and) unorganised" just days before the accident.

Kim Joynson, now living in Australia, said her partner Willie Joynson was also worried about mine safety and the lack of escape routes at Pike River.

Since then her only income was ACC payments in a New Zealand bank account, and she still had moments of uncontrollable crying and jolting awake at night.

Sam Mackie's mother Beth said "my life is a horror movie".

She lost her only child and needed medication to help her function.

"I dream of Sam when he was a baby and a toddler. I dream that he is missing or has died."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

His father Peter Mackie wrote that he had a breakdown and spent five and a half weeks in hospital.

"I was on medication and that nearly killed me."

Kane Nieper's wife Chloe also had her statement read out: "Kalani (Kane's son) asks about daddy every single day. He says daddy is up in the sky on his surfboard - it's ripped out hearts out."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'Huge problems': Business owners upset over paid parking plan

Premium
New Zealand

'I want to give back': Gynaecologist stuck in cleaning job as women wait for specialist care

New Zealand

Lawyer with cerebral palsy achieves dream career


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Huge problems': Business owners upset over paid parking plan
New Zealand

'Huge problems': Business owners upset over paid parking plan

Several streets and avenues to have new two-hour limits, with fines starting at $20.

21 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Premium
'I want to give back': Gynaecologist stuck in cleaning job as women wait for specialist care
New Zealand

'I want to give back': Gynaecologist stuck in cleaning job as women wait for specialist care

21 Jul 06:00 PM
Lawyer with cerebral palsy achieves dream career
New Zealand

Lawyer with cerebral palsy achieves dream career

21 Jul 06:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP