The mother of a man killed on a Canberra construction site wants grieving families to be given a greater voice after being denied a chance to read an impact statement at an inquest into his death.
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Ben Catanzariti, 21, was killed after suffering severe head injuries when a concrete pouring boom came crashing down on a Kingston Foreshore construction site on July 21, 2012.
He had been working for Belconnen Concrete for just two weeks before the incident which left two others injured.
Investigations established the sudden collapse was due to the fracture of high strength bolts, but the cause of the failure has been under contention since.
Criminal charges were laid against maintenance company Schwing Australia and NSW engineer Phillip James O'Rourke but later withdrawn after conflicting expert reports about the failure of the screws.
A coronial inquest into Mr Catanzariti's death resumed at ACT Coroner's Court on Monday, with parties expected to deliver their final submissions to Coroner Karen Fryar tomorrow.
The court heard a further expert report on how the bolts failed had been commissioned by Mr Catanzariti's family and entered as evidence.
Mr Catanzariti's mother Kay Catanzariti asked to read a pre-prepared eight page victim impact statement to the court.
The court allowed it to be placed on the file but heard victim impact statements were only part of the process in criminal proceedings.
"I've always said this is about Ben's death," Ms Fryar said.
"I accept that it is difficult to find a space for a grieving family to describe the impact that Ben's death has had on them.
"The victim impact statement process is something for another arena and not able yet be legally [done in this process]."
After the hearing, Mrs Catanzariti said she was frustrated she was not allowed to read her prepared statement.
"For me, to help me have closure I need to read it out," Mrs Catanzariti said.
"Five and a half years being in there and being a part of everything and I haven't been able to have a voice.
"I know it's not law, but I need to do it so I can survive.
"Compassion doesn't seem to come into it."
She felt little relief as the inquest entered its final stages, saying she did not think it would lead to any closure.
"We know how Ben got killed, his head was crushed by a concrete boom collapsing.
"The question is why did it collapse? Why?
"Forty-seven bolts seared out on that boom - how can that happen?"
The statement filed with the court detailed her relationship with her son, and what life has been like since his death.
"This has been a relentless, exhausting and painful journey," part of the statement said.
"I don't function. I exist. I go to work as the bills keep coming. I want to pull the sheets over my head and disappear.
"I watch the sun go down but never rise.
"This victim impact statement has been my chance to say some of the things I needed to express.
"At the end of the day I now know that I will not get the end result that I want - accountability for Ben's death."
