The message – seen by InDaily – was sent by Van Holst Pellekaan to the Port Augusta Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) firefighter yesterday after the former colleague she accused of misconduct lost a bid to have his job reinstated.

In the message, Van Holst Pellekaan, whose electorate of Stuart takes in Port Augusta, asked her to “spare a thought” for her former colleague and alleged perpetrator, saying “it would be terrible if the impact was too great for him to deal with”.

“Saw the decision came your way – no doubt you’re very relieved,” Van Holst Pellekaan wrote.

“You know him better, so if you think I’m worried about nothing that’s good.

“Somethings (sic) best to be cautious.”

In a follow-up message, Van Holst Pellekaan said he had heard that the female firefighter thought his message made him appear to side with her perpetrator.

“That’s certainly not the case,” he wrote.

“I was concerned for his potential well-being.

“Apologies for the confusion.”

Marshall told reporters this morning that Van Holst Pellekaan had “the best of intentions” when he contacted the female firefighter and he had since reached out to her to clarify his remarks.

“Certainly, if there were any unintended consequences, I think, the Deputy Premier’s already made contact with that person and left a message,” he said.

“I think we all know Dan Van Holst Pellekaan – he’s got a heart of gold.

“He certainly didn’t wish to put any further stress on this victim – he wanted to support the victim and he’s conveyed that in a further message to her.”

Asked if the text message was a “bad look” for his government, given it was sent on International Women’s Day, Marshall said: “his (Van Holst Pellekaan’s) intention was to support that victim”.

“I think we’ve proven since coming to government that we’ve had a very strong focus on ending domestic and family violence and supporting victims very strongly.”

Deputy Premier Dan Van Holst Pellekaan. Photo: Kelly Barnes/AAP

In a statement, Van Holst Pellekaan said he “reached out in support of a constituent during a very difficult time for her”.

“In no way do I condone that type of behaviour,” he said.

The man was dismissed from the MFS in December 2020 after the service’s disciplinary committee found he had behaved in an “intimidating manner” two years earlier.

The disciplinary committee heard he physically grabbed the back of the firefighter’s neck and pushed her head towards the ground in a shed at the Port Augusta fire station.

He denied he committed misconduct, describing the allegation as a “total lie” and that witnesses had colluded against him.

But the MFS disciplinary committee found the misconduct was “very serious” and dismissal was warranted.

The United Fire Fighters Union of South Australia (UFUSA) described Van Holst Pellekaan’s messages as a “deep insult”, saying he had sent further messages and phone calls to the female firefighter and her family.

“It is not only a totally inappropriate message from the employer but also highly ironic in that the reason a complaint was not filed with SAPOL about the assault originally, was the compassion and concern of the victim of the assault about potential damage in a small community, to the perpetrator’s family, business, and firearms licence,” the union said in a statement.

The union said the firefighter agreed to give evidence to the SA Employment Tribunal last year, but as soon as the hearing concluded, she received a notice of dismissal from her employer.

It said an action for unfair dismissal was now proceeding before the Employment Tribunal.

“On International Women’s Day 2022 there is no excuse for the actions of the Marshall government and the MFS,” it said.

InDaily contacted the MFS for comment, but a spokesperson said they were “not in a position to comment publicly if a matter is before a tribunal”.

– with additional reporting by Tom Richardson