Ex-DENEL Worker Sued for Hammer Tantrum

LazyLion

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A former aircraft instrument fitter has to pay Denel Aviation more than R1.8 million for smashing equipment with a hammer in a fit of rage, according to a report on Tuesday.

Denel Aviation obtained an order in the High Court in Pretoria to deduct R1.84m from William Carrington's pension fund, reported The Star newspaper.

If there was not enough money in his fund for the entire amount, the outstanding amount would fall away, ruled Judge Ronel Tolmay.

Carrington smashed the control and display unit and four malfunction display units of a Rooivalk helicopter with a hammer in June 2005.

According to the newspaper, he said in court papers that he suffered from depression at the time and had wanted to resign.

He asked his boss's secretary for a resignation form, but she refused to give him one and said he should return when he was calmer.

"This angered me even more.... The next morning I was totally raging. I came to work and took out my rage on the instrument panels in the avionics store. I took a hammer and used it to smash the panels."

The Star reported that he pleaded guilty at a disciplinary hearing and a summons was issued against him to pay for the damage.

The sheriff of the court could not find him at his home address to serve the summons.

He was eventually tracked down at a homeless shelter in Kempton Park.


Source : Sapa /fg/clh
Date : 12 Mar 2013 08:21
 
If that is the full extent of the story, I actually feel sorry for the guy
 
If that is the full extent of the story, I actually feel sorry for the guy

Me too.

Goverment employees gets to blow/waste millions/billions rands without punishment (they get a golden handshake in some cases) . This one dude flips.. he gets R1.4mil fine .. ouch.

Doesn't justify what he did..
 
Me too.

Goverment employees gets to blow/waste millions/billions rands without punishment (they get a golden handshake in some cases) . This one dude flips.. he gets R1.4mil fine .. ouch.

Doesn't justify what he did..

What?

He trashed a Rooivalk, and it is not a fine - it is the damaged he caused. Who was going to pay for that damage if he didn't?
 
What?

He trashed a Rooivalk, and it is not a fine - it is the damaged he caused. Who was going to pay for that damage if he didn't?

insurance :bleh: (yes its not a fine, it's for damages)

But like I said.. doesn't justify what he did (and if you break stuff like that prepare to pay). I wish our goverment would deduct wastefull expenses from salaries.
 
The court should have taken his mental health into account. Seems we live in a world where pleading insanity gets you off a murder rap but true mental illnesses are ignored. Disgusting.

What?

He trashed a Rooivalk, and it is not a fine - it is the damaged he caused. Who was going to pay for that damage if he didn't?

Rooivalks are obsolete junk anyway, that's why no country wants to buy them. If the stuff he destroyed was actually worth R 1.8m I'd be very surprised.
 
Rooivalks are obsolete junk anyway, that's why no country wants to buy them. If the stuff he destroyed was actually worth R 1.8m I'd be very surprised.

The instruments in the Rooivalk is not proprietary equipment. It is equipment sourced from the Puma, Allouette and Super Frelon choppers. Might even be from other aircraft. A such they might have some value other than scrap. The gyros etc in those instruments are not cheap.
 
As for Denel claiming damages, they are quite tenacious like that. I bought a piece of their fence in 1989 when I rollde my car through their fence. They sued me for every cent.
 
Wait, you actually had to pay for it?

Car was not insured comprehensively, only fire, theft and balance of 3rd party. I had to pay for 2 concrete poles and the fence between them. Princely sum of R800 back then. Does not sound like much, but on an appy salary of R120/month before deductions, it was a lot.:erm:
 
Man, I feel like this guy today. Wish I had the balls to f*** some stuff up.
I'd happily let our fcking useless government cover the cost for this with my tax money.
 
Car was not insured comprehensively, only fire, theft and balance of 3rd party. I had to pay for 2 concrete poles and the fence between them. Princely sum of R800 back then. Does not sound like much, but on an appy salary of R120/month before deductions, it was a lot.:erm:

About 15 years back, a friend of mine had a Golf CTi, and he slapped a freeflow exhaust and mags on it, and decided to take it for a spin. Soon after he pulled away, he demolished a lappost, and had to fork out R3k for it. This lamppost was removed a few years later when they changed the layout of the street.
 
Same thing would happen anywhere else at any company, the guy couldn't control himself and damaged equipment. He has to pay for it himself, stupid thing to do. Serves him right.
We can't jump on the government gross spending issue as an excuse for negligent and reckless damages? That is ridiculous.
 
Would your personal liability clause not kick in here? Mine is something like R10mil. Always wondered when I would get to use it???
 
Same thing would happen anywhere else at any company, the guy couldn't control himself and damaged equipment. He has to pay for it himself, stupid thing to do. Serves him right.
We can't jump on the government gross spending issue as an excuse for negligent and reckless damages? That is ridiculous.

Does he get to keep it?

'Cos he could make the money back.....
 
Car was not insured comprehensively, only fire, theft and balance of 3rd party. I had to pay for 2 concrete poles and the fence between them. Princely sum of R800 back then. Does not sound like much, but on an appy salary of R120/month before deductions, it was a lot.:erm:

There is your cover unless the insurer had a reason to decline?
 
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