Three Western Power employees who gave favourable character references to a senior manager who raped a female colleague on a work trip have been stood down, with the energy minister ordering an investigation into the government-owned utility.Warning: This story contains details some readers may find distressing, including descriptions of sexual assault.Jeffrey David Spinner, 59, was sentenced to five years in jail in June after he took the victim to his hotel room while she was heavily intoxicated in 2024.The court heard the woman had vomited earlier in the night and required assistance to walk, which Spinner witnessed.After she went back to Spinner's hotel room thinking it was hers, she sat in the shower fully clothed with the water running.Spinner helped her out of the shower and the woman got into his bed with a towel on. She woke up to him raping her, the court heard.Jeffrey David Spinner was sentenced in June to five years in jail for raping a colleague in Bunbury in 2024.
(Facebook: Jeff Spinner)In sentencing remarks, District Court Judge Gary William Massey referred to character references provided by colleagues, finding the offending was "out of character"."I'll give you the benefit of being a person of prior good character," he said while considering an appropriate sentence.He referred to references from a colleague who had worked with Spinner closely for a long period of time, and who described the senior manager as "a highly respected work colleague known for [his] professionalism, integrity and strong work ethic".Spinner (right) was described by a relative as someone who has always shown respect for women.
