Parry working for Gore council at Lachie Jones inquest

Thursday, 23 May 2024

Former Gore District Council chief executive Steve Parry arriving at the Invercargill Courthouse on Monday, May 13 during week three of the coronial inquest into the death of Lachie Jones.

Former Gore District Council chief executive Stephen Parry has been retained as a contractor to oversee the inquest into the death of Lachie Jones on the council’s behalf.

Parry attended the 2½ week long first session of the inquest in Invercargill intermittently.

He told Stuff it was “hectic” leading up to the last day of his employment on May 10, because he was trying to juggle his obligations before leaving the council with attending the inquest.

He attended the inquest’s next three days on May 13, 14 and 15, and told Stuff he had been retained as a contractor to oversee it. He gave the court registrar his council email address to be sent further information.

He would prepare a report for councillors about the proceedings, he said.

The council had been given ‘interested party’ status because it owns the ponds where the toddler’s body was found.

During the inquest, the council’s former dog ranger, Dave McKewen, gave evidence that he saw three people in the paddock next to the ponds on the afternoon of the day Lachie died.

Dave McKewen leaving the Invercargill Courthouse during week two of the coronial inquest into Lachie Jones death.

McKewen said he told his former manager about the sighting, but could not go to police about what he saw because he needed his manager’s approval.

Parry, who was still interim chief executive of the council at the time, told Stuff at the inquest that it had never been council policy that staff could not go to the police with information without approval.

“We have a media policy, but in this instance it would have been my expectation that he would have told his manager, yes, but also gone to the police with information that may well have been crucial to the case,’’ he said.

Police officers David Kennelly, Cynthia Fairley and Hua Tamariki gave evidence at the inquest.

The sighting could have been important to the council’s evidence in its prosecution by WorkSafe, he said.

In December 2022, the Gore District Council entered a guilty plea to an amended charge laid by WorkSafe in relation to the death in the ponds.

During the inquest police involved in the investigation into Lachie’s death gave evidence that no formal chain of command was in place during the investigation and that critical investigations were not carried out in the days following.

When asked about the investigation at the inquest, Parry, who again was still interim chief executive, said the council was on record as saying it had serious concerns about the inadequacy of the police investigation.

“What I’m hearing in the last few days is justification for our stance regarding the police investigation and its considerable shortcomings,’’ he said.

“Based on the fact, that as far as I’m aware, WorkSafe placed a heavy reliance on the police investigation, so that obviously raises questions about the adequacy of WorkSafe’s actions and investigations and no doubt at the end of this process the council should reflect and pause to consider whether the WorkSafe actions need to be the subject of some review.’’

Stuff asked the council a week ago why Parry had been retained as a contractor, how much he was being paid and whether he would be attending the second hearing of the inquest in August.

The council has not responded to that request for information.