THE family of a man mauled to death by dogs while working at a Greenbank property want new legislation to protect meter readers, a coronial inquest has heard.
The law, which the man’s family wants named in his honour, would require local councils share dog registration information with utilities like electricity providers.
The man, 42-year-old Kane Minion, was killed by two dogs in December 2022 while trying to check the electricity meter on an Ison Road property.
Last week on 13 October, a coronial inquest began investigating the circumstances that led to Mr Minion’s death.
Over the four days, the inquest heard from investigators from Queensland police, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ), as well as Energy Queensland (who Mr Minion was contracted to at the time of his death), and representatives for Mr Minion’s family and the dog owners.
On its second-last day, the inquest heard from Logan Criminal Investigation Branch Detective Acting Sergeant Leah Griffiths, who said one of the general duties officers first on scene after Mr Minion’s death drew his gun “as he thought he would need to destroy the dog” as it was barking at the officers on arrival.
The two dogs that mauled Mr Minion – a bandog bull-mastiff cross and a Rhodesian ridgeback cross – were later impounded by Logan City Council and euthanised.
That same day, an investigator from WHSQ told the inquest that a text message was not sent to the Greenbank property owners to say Mr Minion would be entering.
The investigator said he believed Mr Minion thought the dogs were restrained, as he had skipped other properties with unrestrained dogs earlier that day.
On the inquest’s final day, the barrister representing Mr Minion’s family, Bianca Stringer, submitted that the coroner should refer the dog owners to the local council for possible prosecution, which carries jail time and a potential $100,000 fine.
She said there was clear evidence that the dogs owners were “not responsible dog owners”.
Ms Stringer supported calls, also backed by Energy Queensland, for a new law that would force local governments councils to share dog information to boost safety for meter readers.
The coroner, Amanda Bain, will hand down her findings at a later period.
