By CRM staff
Toronto, Ontario — November 26, 2018 — A bodyshop owner is back in court today after being charged in the death of one of his employees at a Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia collision repair shop back in 2013, as reported by the CBC.
Elie Hoyeck, Your Mechanic Auto Corner, stood in front of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax today, facing charges of criminal negligence that lead to the death of mechanic Peter Kempton.
Hoyeck is the first Nova Scotian to be charged under the Westray law, an amendment to the Criminal Code designed to hold employers legally responsible for the safety of their employees.
Hoyeck is pleading not guilty and is being tried by a judge alone.
Kempton had been using an acetylene torch to remove the gas tank from a derelict minivan when the vehicle ignited in flames.
David Giles, an expert witness with 30 years of experience as an auto mechanic, is scheduled to resume his testimony today. Giles spoke in front of the court Friday, explaining that safety features were absent from the acetylene torch Kempton was using.
