Unimaginable grief detailed as Hillcrest jumping castle inquest begins

Lives and personalities of Hillcrest jumping castle victims shared as Tasmanian inquest starts In short: A coronial inquest into the deaths of six children in the Hillcrest Primary School tragedy has started in Devonport in Tasmania's north-west. At the outset of the inquest, the coroner's court heard details of each of the children who died. What's next? The inquest is expected to run for four days this week, before resuming in November and February. For the first time in court, the lives and personalities of the children who died in the Hillcrest Primary School tragedy in Tasmania's north-west have been described in detail. The coronial inquest into the deaths of the six children who died when a freak wind tossed a jumping castle across the school's oval on December 16, 2021, started today in Devonport. The children who died were Addison Stewart, Chace Harrison, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt and Zane Mellor. The inquest is scheduled to run for four days this week, before further hearing blocks in November and February. At the outset of the inquest, counsel assisting the coroner, Maree Norton SC, detailed how the tragedy occurred and how the coronial inquest is expected to proceed. She also described each of the children who died while photographs of them were displayed on large screens around the courtroom. Victims given life in opening address Each of the children were in grades 5 or 6 at Hillcrest Primary School in Devonport on the day of the tragedy. Ms Norton began by describing Peter Dodt, who was 12 and in grade 6 when he died. She said Peter had nine siblings and had seen a significant improvement in his school grades since he started attending Hillcrest Primary School, of which his father Andrew was particularly proud. Andrew Dodt arrived at the inquest this morning wearing a photo bearing his son's photo and the words "Dad's Little Super Hero". Chace Harrison was 11 and in grade 5 on the day of the tragedy, and at school he particularly loved sport. "He was worldly, and often conducted his own research into topics he found interesting," Ms Norton said. Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, known as JJ, was 12 and in grade 6 when she died. "She was loyal, kind, caring and full of life,"Ms Norton said. "She had a laugh that was loud and contagious … and dreamed of becoming a childcare worker." Zane Mellor, also 12 years old and in grade 6, was a "witty and cheeky" boy with a "zest for adventure", Ms Norton said. He had a "creative and boundless energy" and had a "knack for technology". Like Mr Dodt, Zane's mother, Georgie Burt carried a cushion on which her son's face had been printed. Jye Sheehan was 12 years old and in grade 6, and enjoyed school and being with his friends, and "never stopped talking". He enjoyed mathematics, was a sports leader and a member of the school choir, Ms Norton said, and a mentor for younger students. Addison Stewart was 11 years old and in grade 5 on the day of the tragedy, the court heard. "She enjoyed all aspects of school life," Ms Norton said. "She was often the first to person to offer help when asked." As Ms Norton spoke, many of the victims' family members could be seen becoming emotional and embracing. Victim's mother not allowed to see son's body until three days after tragedy Ms Burt, Zane's mother, was the first person to give evidence in the hearing on Monday morning. She described the chaos at the school on the morning of the tragedy as she ran around the grounds trying to find her son, or someone who could tell her what had happened. Ms Burt said she was told he had been taken to the Mersey Community Hospital at Latrobe, and while she was there, she was told by police he had died but had not left the school grounds. She said she was not allowed to see him or view his body until three days later at the funeral home. "I felt like someone had ripped my heart out whole,"she said. "What do you mean Zane's dead? You were just here, and now you're not here." She said she was never personally contacted by staff from the school, and only heard from staff in the Department of Education, Children and Young People in the following year. At one point, when Ms Burt appeared distressed, Coroner McTaggart asked if she would like a break, but she declined, saying, "This is what it is. This is what every one of our families dealt with that day." The court has not heard any indication that any other victims' family members are expected to give evidence. Inquest starts as fifth anniversary of the tragedy approaches The coronial inquest started as the fifth anniversary of the tragedy approaches on December 16. It follows the criminal case hearing, which in June last year resulted in Magistrate Robert Webster finding Rosemary Gamble not guilty of failing in her work health and safety duty over the tragedy. Ms Gamble owned the jumping castle and Taz-Zorb, the business that rented the inflatable amusement equipment to the primary school on the day of the tragedy. In her hour-long opening address to the court, Ms Norton detailed the circumstances of the tragedy, including the weather conditions on the morning beforehand. She discussed how, despite the mild weather, witnesses had described the "mini-tornado" that swept through the primary school grounds, lifting the jumping castle into the air and across the school oval. Much of what she discussed was heard in detail during the two-week criminal hearing in 2024, but Ms Norton said the aims of the inquest were different. She said the first week of the hearings would focus on the circumstances of each of the children's deaths, with the goal of making findings where possible. This week the inquest will hear from Zane Mellor's mother Georgie Burt, as well as a police forensic investigator and representatives from the state's health department. Further hearing blocks to be held later this year The inquest, before Coroner Olivia McTaggart, will sit for four days this week, before resuming for further blocks of hearings in November and February. It is being held in Devonport's Paranaple Centre, in a room on the building's third floor, which has been reconfigured as a Devonport Magistrates Court room. Throughout the morning before the inquest started, families of the victims, as well as lawyers and members of the public streamed through its doors and huddled in the foyer of the makeshift courtroom. One of the women in attendance had tattooed on her neck the image depicting Tasmania as a broken heart, which was widely circulated on social media in the wake of the tragedy. [Image text:] HILLCREST PRIMARY SCHOOL Ph.64245211 ail:[email protected] Learning for Life