Overview
- Three current Western Power employees who supplied glowing character references at the June sentencing of senior manager Jeffrey David Spinner were stood down Tuesday and are subject to an internal investigation.
- Spinner was convicted of raping a colleague during a 2024 work trip and was sentenced in June to five years’ jail after the court heard the victim had been heavily intoxicated and vulnerable.
- Western Power’s new CEO, Gair Landsborough, said he only learned this week from a journalist that staff had given references, and the utility has launched a review of its code of conduct, leadership training and sexual‑harassment procedures.
- Energy Minister Amber‑Jade Sanderson ordered a probe and condemned the references as a serious lapse in judgment, and Attorney‑General Tony Buti said the government is considering extending a ban on positive character evidence beyond child sexual‑abuse cases.
- The victim’s impact statement described ongoing fear and isolation, including a security guard at her home, and the case is likely to sharpen calls for legal reform and tighter workplace safeguards for survivors.