Former Queensland CFMEU president David Hanna’s trial heard he asked staff to burn files, which were then dumped in tip

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A former Queensland union boss has been convicted of destroying tonnes of documents that could have been evidence in a royal commission.

David Arthur Hanna, a former Queensland president of the CFMEU, dumped dozens of boxes of documents in April 2014 after being told the trade union royal commission would focus on the union.

On Monday a Brisbane district court jury found him guilty of a single count of destroying, concealing or mutilating documents after seven hours of deliberations.

He was handed a nine-month jail sentence but won’t spend time in prison as he can be released after paying a $500 good behaviour bond that he will be subject to for the next two years.

Hanna instructed colleagues to take dozens of boxes of documents from the union’s Brisbane office to his home, where he asked staff to try to burn files, his week-long trial heard.

When they failed to burn, the boxes were collected in a truck and dumped at a tip near Ipswich.

One witness testified Hanna had asked him to cover up CCTV cameras at the union’s office while he loaded the boxes into a horse float.

Another told the court Hanna asked her to then get rid of what she believed was a receipt for the cost of “burying” documents with an excavator.

The measures were an attempt by Hanna to keep the disposal secret, prosecutors argued.

Hanna’s defence lawyer claimed his actions were part of an innocent office clean-up.

He will be sentenced on Monday.