Jeffrey David Spinner, 59, was sentenced to five years in June after taking the victim to his hotel room when she was heavily intoxicated and sexually assaulting her. Court transcripts included eight positive character references from his colleagues, which the judge said indicated the rape was 'out of character' for Spinner.
In a statement, Western Power said after a 'thorough investigation, careful consideration' and 'appropriate employment processes', the three employees 'no longer work for the business'. The investigation found conduct that was 'inconsistent with our values, Code of Conduct and the standards we expect of everyone at Western Power'.
The utility said it had commissioned an independent cultural review that is 'currently underway'. The sackings come after WA Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson ordered an investigation into the 'shocking and disturbing' case and how it was communicated to government.
Weeks later, and after growing calls, the government rushed to ban the ability for convicted criminals to rely on good character references from family, friends and colleagues to reduce their sentences. Work was already underway to end the practice in child abuse cases, but the government was pushed into taking further action after the Western Power saga was made public. The new laws are currently being drafted.
Ms Sanderson noted the outcome of the review and called for the broader probe to now play out. 'We now need to let the independent review into broader cultural issues at Western Power run its course,' she said in a statement.