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Gore District Council has entered a shock guilty plea to a health and safety charge after a toddler was found dead in an oxidation pond almost four years ago.��

Lachie Jones was just 3 years old when he was found dead in one of Gore’s oxidation ponds just 1.2km from his home on January 29, 2019.��

His father Paul Jones��, despite two police investigations which ruled that the boy drowned.��

WorkSafe laid a charge against the local council under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 in relation to the death.��

The matter was heading to a defended hearing starting in Gore on January 23.��

However, the council this week entered a plea of guilty to an amended charge – and an allegation that a serious risk of death arose from the council’s alleged breach was removed.��

Gore District Council chief executive Stephen Parry said as a result the council has entered a plea of guilty to the reduced charge of failing to perform a duty.��

“As always, our thoughts continue to remain with Lachlan’s whanau. His death was a tragedy,” he said.��

The council will be sentenced at a later date.��

Lachie’s dad Paul said the news – which was delivered to him by customers on his courier run – has come as a “huge shock”.��

“It’s just blown me to smithereens - I’m dumbfounded,” he told the Herald.��

“It’s been four years of all this bulls*** and to come to that so close to the case is just ridiculous.”��

The decision to plead guilty to a health and safety charge is an especially big blow for Jones who, in the past, has felt supported by local council officials.��

“They shook my hand and said they agree with me - none of them thought my son walked out there and that’s why they supported me,” Jones said.��

But he’s vowed to continue to seek answers for Lachie.��

“No way is the fight for justice for my son over,” he said.��

“Ninety-nine per cent of this town don’t think he walked out there.”��

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