A 21-year-old Filipino man was not paid for at least 200 hours’ worth of work before he died, a coronial inquest has heard.
Jerwin Royupa arrived in Australia in February 2019 on a 407 training visa, which allows a candidate to participate in workplace-based occupational training activities.
Mr Royupa began working for a southern New South Wales winery, but died five weeks later on March 15, 2019 after he allegedly exited a moving vehicle.
Police told the inquest this week forensic examinations could not determine how Mr Royupa left the vehicle or if he was pushed.
“I don’t think there is enough information to have that sort of conclusion,” independent crash investigator Mark George told the inquest.
Sergeant Christie Forster from NSW Police Crash Invegtigation Unit told the inquest she concurred with that assessment.
“I agree with Mr George,” she said.
“We can’t say where Jerwin has come into contact with the roadway.”
The inquest at Albury Local Court is also examining at the working conditions Mr Royupa was subjected to during his time in regional NSW.
The inquest heard Mr Royupa was to be paid $134.92 per month to work 10 hours a day for six days a week.
On Wednesday, counsel assisting the coroner Simon Buchen told the inquest that Mr Royupa’s sponsor said his pay would be withheld for the first six months of work at the vineyard.
“No wage payment for six months to offset bringing the employee to Australia,” Mr Buchen told the inquest.
Jerwin Royupa’s sister told the inquest her brother was scared of his sponsor. (ABC News)
‘Lock your doors’
Mr Royupa was planning to send the money to his family in the Philippines.
His sister, Jamaica Royupa-Buraga, told the inquest that Mr Royupa was scared of his sponsor.
Text messages between the two detailing Mr Royupa’s pay and conditions were read in court.
In one message to her brother, Ms Royupa-Buraga said “what [the sponsor] wants is free service”.
In another message she warned Mr Royupa to “lock your doors”.
When asked by Mr Buchen about why she sent that message, she said she was “concerned for Jerwin’s safety”.
Ms Royupa-Buraga said that just before his death, Mr Royupa wanted a new sponsor and was planning to head to Western Australia to live with his cousins.
Paul Clayton, an Inspector with the Australian Border Force’s Sponsor Monitoring Coordination Unit, told the inquest the investigation at the time of Mr Royupa’s death could have been more thorough.
“Do you consider there has been a satisfactory investigative response to this case,” Mr Buchen asked.
“No, there could have been more done in this case,” Mr Clayton replied.
Earlier the inquest heard from James Goodsell, who at the time of Mr Royupa’s death was the director of students visas at the Department of Home Affairs.
He told the inquest that the person within the department who granted Mr Royupa’s sponsor’s application had been subject to internal remediation but was still employed.
“There have been learnings and enhanced monitoring and training of that person’s output,” Mr Goodsell said.
The inquest continues.
