00:00This morning here in the Devonport Magistrates Court, nearly three and a half years since the
00:07Hillcrest Primary School tragedy, Magistrate Robert Webster delivered his verdict. He found
00:13that he was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of Rosemary Gamble's guilt. Now it's been the
00:20prosecution's case throughout this two-week hearing in November that Ms Gamble did not
00:26adequately secure the castle, but the defence has maintained that no steps would have been
00:32able to prevent this tragedy. Magistrate Robert Webster wrote, the dust devil was impossible to
00:38predict. As the Director of Public Prosecutions properly conceded, the dust devil was unforeseen
00:44and unforeseeable. Magistrate Webster wrote, it could have been unavoidable and even if the defendant
00:49had taken extra steps, it would have been unlikely to change the ultimate outcome.
00:54It was an emotional scene outside of the court after he delivered his verdict. Speaking on behalf
01:01of Ms Gamble, her lawyer Bethan Frack delivered a statement. Here's what she had to say.
01:07There are no words to describe how I have felt ever since the tragic incident took so much away from so
01:14many people and left nothing but heartbreak and emptiness in its place. I never meant for anything
01:20like this to happen and I'm just so sorry that it did. Shortly after two family members came
01:27out and spoke to the media, they spoke of being absolutely broken. First was Georgie Burt and then
01:33was Andrew Dott. I'm deeply disappointed in the Tasmanian justice system. This outcome does not
01:42reflect the weight of our loss nor the reality we live with every single day. I've been broken for a long
01:52time and I think I'm going to be broken for a long morning. Now there's still two cases that remain to be
01:57heard in court. There's the coronial inquest and there's also the class action that's been brought
02:02by the families against the state of Tasmania and against Ms Gamble.
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