The licensee of Assembly Bar in the Sydney CBD has received a strike, for allowing a patron to become so intoxicated she needed medical attention.
The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) issued what was the first strike to licensee Jeremy Nicholas King, under the NSW Government’s Three Strikes disciplinary scheme.
It is reported police found a woman unconscious on Kent Street at 2am on Friday, 26 April 2019. She was said to be unresponsive and smelled of alcohol, and an ambulance was called to attend to her.
CCTV footage from Assembly Bar shows two patrons enter at 11.30pm. They order and consume three shots each in seven minutes, and investigators suggest they looked intoxicated but were not refused service.
On two occasions a bartender drank shots with one of the pair.
ILGA chair Philip Crawford said blatant disregard was demonstrated for the responsible service of alcohol, and practices at the venue “reflect inadequate staff training and awareness” to properly assess patron behaviour.
“Failure by staff to sufficiently monitor liquor consumption and remove the intoxicated person led to an increased risk of alcohol-related harm and compromised the safety of the patron and those around her.
“The fact that she was found passed out, unresponsive and requiring immediate medical attention highlights the serious risk of injury or death.”
Under the revised Strikes scheme, licensees face a range of remedial action, and those incurring three strikes may have their licence suspended or be permanently removed from the industry.
The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) is understood to be considering additional conditions on Assembly Bar’s licence, such as operating to an approved plan of management, and specific requirements on CCTV footage.
