Two dogs rushed at a worker on a Queensland property a week before a meter reader was mauled to death, according to evidence to be tendered to a coronial inquiry.
Kane Minion, 42, was working for Energy Queensland in December 2022 when he was mauled to death by dogs on a property at Greenbank in Logan.
A five-day coronial inquest is scheduled to be held in October to examine the circumstances surrounding the death of the experienced meter reader.
On Friday, counsel assisting the coroner Bernhard Berger detailed evidence set to be presented to the hearing.
He told the court a pump technician visiting the property managed to avoid the two dogs rushing at him by jumping into his vehicle.
Mr Berger said they “they continued to bark at him” until a young man who lived at the property retrieved the dogs and apologised for them being unrestrained.
The run-in was not reported to authorities.
The dogs were seized and destroyed. (ABC News)
Experienced worker
The court was told Mr Minion had been a meter reader for seven years and had received dog safety training.
On the morning of his death Mr Minion did not read meters at more than 30 properties for various reasons.
He reportedly did not enter seven properties because he could not be sure they contained unrestrained animals.
No-one was home at the Ison Road property when he was attacked.
The owners of the property were not at home at the time of the attack. (ABC News: Nickoles Coleman)
Mr Berger said Mr Minion had a handheld device that noted there was a dog on the property to watch out for, but it was restrained when he arrived.
He said Mr Minion was attacked shortly after entering the property.
“The evidence in the inquest will show … shortly after he entered the property, he has been attacked by dogs, which is the ultimate cause of his death,” Mr Berger said.
Energy Queensland – a government-owned company that operates Ergon and Energex – introduced a safe entry policy for meter readers and crews in January 2019.
Four dogs at property
Mr Berger said four dogs lived at the address, including a bandog bull-mastiff cross named Dozer and a bull-mastiff Rhodesian ridgeback cross named Scooby.
An elderly Rhodesian ridgeback and a miniature dachshund puppy also lived on the one-hectare property, but often remained close to the house.
Mr Berger said Dozer and Scooby were registered with the council.
In March 2020, a dog with a similar description to Dozer reportedly rushed at a neighbouring dog on the property’s boundary.
Mr Berger said this incident was reported to the council but staff did not designate the animals as dangerous or menacing because there had been no physical contact.
The court heard the front gate of the property bore a sign that read, “Warning: Guard dogs on duty. Do not enter”.
Loved ones at hearing
Coroner Amanda Bain is expected to look at the adequacy of notification procedures for meter readers and the availability of technology that would allow the task to be performed remotely.
She is also expected to look at the adequacy of any safety measures taken following the attack and whether recommendations can be made to prevent deaths in future.
Ms Bain addressed Mr Minion’s loved ones at the pre-inquest hearing, including his fiance Toni Baird.
“I acknowledge your presence,” Ms Bain said.
“You were his fiance at the time of his death … thank you very much for being here.
“I appreciate this is a difficult process for you all.“
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