The father of New Zealand mine blast victim Malcolm Campbell said that the conviction of his son’s employer was “proof of their incompetence” as he called for further convictions to be pursued.
Malcolm, 25, from St Andrews, died when a series of underground explosions ripped through the Pike River coal mine in November 2010.
A judge convicted Pike River Coal of nine health and safety violations over the explosion that killed 29 miners, including Malcolm Campbell and Pete Rodger, 40, of Perth.
Judge Jane Farish found that Pike River Coal failed to ensure the safety of its workers. The now-bankrupt company did not defend itself against the charges.
An earlier government investigation found the company ignored 21 warnings that methane gas had accumulated to explosive levels in the mine, and that it was exposing miners to unacceptable risks as it strove to meet financial targets.
The firm will be sentenced in July. Each of the charges comes with a maximum penalty of 250,000 New Zealand dollars (£138,000).
Former chief executive Peter Whittall has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges. His case has yet to be heard.
Last month Mr Campbell, of Cameron, near St Andrews, told The Courier the family had now all but given up on recovering Malcolm’s body. This came after taking part in a video link discussion over a plan to recover the remains of the 29 men. As The Courier broke the news to him about Pike River Coal being convicted, Mr Campbell said this just confirmed everything the family already thought.
He said: “That just shows the incompetence of the firm and how they were supposed to look after the boys.”
Mr Campbell said the family wanted justice to be the “legacy” of the tragedy and assurances that nothing like this could happen again.