Liquor and Gaming NSW has given a two-year liquor licence ban to a Hunter licensee after a patron was allegedly served an equivalent of thirty-five standard drinks.
Former Gladstone Hotel licensee Tracey Keegan has been banned from holding positions of either a liquor licensee or approved manager, and is further banned from being a close associate of a licensee.
The decision was made after a complaint where bar staff continued to serve a visibly intoxicated patron.
The man, known locally as “Little John”, was allegedly served twenty-two schooners of Tooheys New along with one shot of spirits between 11am and 5:30pm on 6 March 2021.
CCTV showed Little John stumbling and collapsing multiple times, as well as recording friends carrying the then-unconscious man to a waiting vehicle, where they reportedly transported him to hospital.
The staff did not call for medical assistance after his falls.
Following this incident, the hotel’s liquor licence was transferred to a new licensee.
The Liquor and Gaming report found Ms Keegan had neglected to put appropriate measures in place in order to ensure incidents such as this did not occur.
Jane Lin, Executive Director – Regulatory Operations of Liquor and Gaming NSW, said a serious risk of harm had been posed due to the employees’ behaviour.
“It was caused by the licensee’s failure to ensure that the responsible service of alcohol was practiced [at the hotel] and appropriate practices, procedures, training and supervision were in place to prevent intoxication,” Lin explained.
“As this case shows, venues that fail to abide by responsible service of alcohol requirements can expect to be caught and face significant consequences.”
While the authority did not order the closure of the Gladstone Hotel, a separate decision was made after ongoing noise, behaviour and intoxication complaints to impose CCTV and Plan of Management conditions on the hotel’s liquor licence.
The heritage-listed hotel is currently for sale as a vacant possession by Expressions of Interest, through Dowling Commercial.
