Jump to content

ELECTRIC SIGN SUPPLIES
If You're Looking For Premium Electric Sign Industry Components From Trim Cap, LED's, Neon Supplies, Power Supplies, Pattern Paper.  Then Please Visit Our Online Store or Feel Free To Call Us For Inquiries or Placing an Order!!
Buy Now

SIGN INSTALLER MAP
Looking for a fellow Sign Syndicate Company Member For A Sign Install or Maintenance Call?
Click Here

For Sign Company's Who Work As Subcontractors
Before You Work For A National Sign & Service Company You Need To Look At The Reviews Of These Companies Before You Work For Them. Learn When To Expect Payment From Them and What It's Like To Work For Them, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Learn and Share Your Experiences Yourself For Others

Click Here

Man pleads not guilty to illegally constructing sign on CUB site wall


Erik Sine

Recommended Posts

Man pleads not guilty to illegally constructing sign on CUB site wall

post-3-0-38257500-1429555062.jpg

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/man-pleads-not-guilty-to-illegally-constructing-sign-on-cub-site-wall-20150420-1morp5.html

The owner of sign installation business has pleaded not guilty to a charge that he illegally constructed an advertising hoarding that was attached to a brick wall that collapsed and killed three pedestrians in Carlton.

Teenage siblings Alexander and Bridget Jones and Frenchwoman Marie-Faith Fiawoo, 33, died on March 27, 2013, when a 20-metre section of the wall and wooden hoarding fell in high winds.

Construction giant Grocon was later fined $250,000 after pleading guilty to failing to ensure a safe workplace at the vacant Carlton and United Breweries site in Swanston Street.

In Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday, Jonathon Westmoreland, 30, from Wandin North, pleaded not guilty to a charge of doing building work without a permit over several days in October, 2011.

Prosecutor Paul Holdenson QC told the court that Mr Westmoreland's business traded as Paramount Signs and was not a corporate entity.

Mr Holdenson, with Andrew Woods for the Victorian Building Authority, said in his opening to a planned six-day hearing that the accused and three workers constructed the plywood hoarding attached to the brick wall.

He said Grocon owned the site and Mr Westmoreland built the hoarding pursuant to a contract with the company.
A court previously heard that he had been subcontracted by Aussie Signs.

Defence barrister Peter Haag told magistrate Carolene Gwynn that his client was not legally empowered to apply for a building permit.

Before the case began, Ms Gwynn noted that the hearing was booked in for six days and asked If it was correct that all attempts at resolving the matter had been "exhausted".
Mr Holdenson said that they had.

The first prosecution witnesses called had worked with Mr Westmoreland on constructing and attaching the plywood hoarding to the brick wall.
Paul Livesay, a mechanic, agreed with Mr Holdenson that the accused was the "boss" and also had worked on the job.

Mr Livesay said he had signed a "job safety analysis" before work began with a Grocon employee but he did not know if a building permit had been issued for work on the site.

Signwriter Daniel McMahon said he had done a "bit of everything" on the job and had attended a "tool box meeting" with the Grocon representative but he also could not recall a building permit being issued.

Ashley Taylor, a stone mason who is still employed by Paramount Signs, said he was told by Mr Westmoreland "what to do" and had not seen a building permit or heard anyone discuss one.
Guissepe Genco, the City of Melbourne's building surveyor, told the court the masonry brick wall ran for about 70 metres and the hoarding for about 20 metres of that length.
Mr Genco said about 20 metres of the wall collapsed and between 1.8 and two metres of the plywood hoarding had fallen.

He told Mr Holdenson that checks of council records had not found a building permit having been applied for or issued for the site in October, 2011.

In an unsworn statement by Mr Westmoreland in April, 2013, that was read in court by Mr Holdenson, he admitted he did not obtain any planning or building permits for the work because he did not deem it his responsibility.

He said he had been "totally distraught" since learning of the deaths and that he had "questioned myself every day since". He said in the statement that if there had been "any issue with the integrity of the wall I would have voiced my concerns".

Cameron Davey, a compliance officer with the Victorian Building Authority, said in evidence that Mr Westmoreland told him in an interview in December, 2013 that he had no formal building qualifications but had been a carpentry apprentice for two years.

In the interview, Mr Westmoreland said the company Aussie Signs subcontracted the work to his brother's company who then engaged Mr Westmoreland.
The hearing continues.

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Accent Graphics is looking for a sales rep to take over some existing accounts as well as cultivate new business.  This is a great opportunity for the right individual.   We’ve been in business over 40 yrs, are profitable and debt free, offer a competitive benefits package and have a strong staff. Please visit our website at accentgraphicsinc.com and send your resume to operations@accentgraphicsinc.com  
    • Hey everyone, I wanted to share some insights I recently explored about how digital signage is transforming communication within hospitals and healthcare environments. Whether it's patient experience, internal messaging, or emergency alerts — digital displays are making a huge impact. Here are 6 key benefits I discovered: ✅ 1. Reduced Perceived Wait Times Waiting in hospitals can be stressful. Digital signage helps by displaying health tips, entertainment, or wait time updates to ease patient anxiety and improve their experience. ✅ 2. Real-Time Emergency Alerts In urgent situations, hospitals can use digital screens to instantly broadcast important alerts or emergency codes across departments — faster and more effectively than overhead systems. ✅ 3. Improved Staff Communication From shift updates to meeting reminders, internal digital boards streamline communication and reduce confusion among staff, especially in larger facilities. ✅ 4. Wayfinding Made Easy Navigating hospitals can be confusing. Interactive digital maps and directional signs help visitors and patients get to their destination without constantly asking for help. ✅ 5. Promoting Health Campaigns Hospitals can use signage to promote wellness programs, flu shot campaigns, or COVID updates — all in a visually engaging way that captures attention. ✅ 6. Better Patient Engagement Screens in waiting areas or patient rooms can be used for educational videos, treatment FAQs, or even personalized messages — creating a more informed and connected patient experience. I wrote a full article diving deeper into each of these, if anyone wants to read more: https://www.wipath.com/top-6-advantages-of-using-digital-signs-in-hospitals/ Would love to hear your thoughts — are you seeing digital signage being used effectively in your hospitals or clinics? Cheers!
    • Come see our BrightON LEDs displayed at the Abitech Sign Supply Booth #4618 this year at ISA Las Vegas....come see what we have coming next!  
    • Expert LED Sign Letter Design lithousenumbersigns(http://lithousenumbersigns.com)
    • Anyone have experience replacing the panaflex in the large canopies above the gas pumps?
×
  • Create New...