Backhoe Operator Swings Worker Around “Four Full Rotations”, Convicted of Criminal Assault

In a bizarre case, a backhoe operator has been convicted of assault under the Criminal Code after he tried, in a fit of rage, to throw a co-worker off the backhoe by rotating the machine four full rotations while the worker held on to a railing as his feet were flying free of the machine.

The altercation happened after the worker tried to confront the backhoe operator for coming into contact with his father’s truck.  It hadn’t helped that the worker had also complained about the operator’s operation of the backhoe on the previous day.

The worker testified that he approached the backhoe while it was loading a truck, and tried unsuccessfully to get the operator’s attention.  He then opened the backhoe door and yelled at the operator, after which an altercation ensued.  The worker said he fell onto the tracks of the machine, and got up and held the railing.  The operator then rotated the machine four full rotations, with the worker holding on the the railing with his feet flying free.  The worker eventually fell off and landed on the ground. He was unhurt.

The worker said that he lost his hat, which the operator started “stabbing” with the bucket of the machine.  A co-worker wisely persuaded him not to fetch his hat.

The court found the backhoe operator guilty of criminal assault.  The operator’s version of what happened was not credible, but the worker was generally credible, although both of them had been “immature”.

This case demonstrates that workplaces are not immune from the application of the criminal law. Where an employee’s workplace conduct violates the Criminal Code, the police may proceed with charges.

R. v. Schultz, 2014 ONCJ 9 (CanLII)

 

Subscribe and stay updated
Receive our latest blog posts by email.
Adrian Miedema

About Adrian Miedema

Adrian is a partner in the Toronto Employment group of Dentons Canada LLP. He advises and represents public- and private-sector employers in employment, health and safety and human rights matters. He appears before employment tribunals and all levels of the Ontario courts on behalf of employers. He also advises employers on strategic and risk management considerations in employment policy and contracts.

Full bio