The former licensee of a small regional pub has been barred from holding a liquor licence for two years after a man was served 35 standard drinks in six hours.
NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) launched an investigation into the incident which took place at the now-closed Gladstone Hotel in the Newcastle suburb of Stockton.
Tracey Keegan, the licensee, was banned from holding the positions of liquor licensee and approved manager, or from being a close associate of a licensee, for two years as a result of the investigation.
The man whose actions prompted the investigation, nicknamed ‘Little John’, was found to have drunk 22 schooners of Tooheys New and a shot of spirits on March 6, 2021.
CCTV from the day shows Little John pick up his first drink at 11am before getting so drunk that by the time 5:30pm rolled around, his friends had to carry him out.
The man whose actions prompted the investigation was found to have drunk 22 schooners of Tooheys New and a shot of spirits on March 6, 2021 at the Gladstone Hotel in the Newcastle suburb of Stockton
Footage showed Little John fall down four times during the session until his friends were forced to gather around to help stabilise him.
On the final occasion he fell he was seen stumbling and holding on to the bar for support before his friends hoisted him, picking up a limb each and took him outside before driving him to hospital.
The ILGA decision followed a Liquor & Gaming NSW disciplinary complaint alleging that bar staff continued serving the man alcohol when he was visibly intoxicated.
The complaint added that bar staff failed to call for medical help, even as he fell repeatedly in the bar.
Liquor & Gaming NSW regulatory operations executive director Jane Lin said Little John was at serious risk of harm under these conditions.
‘It was caused by the licensee’s failure to ensure that the responsible service of alcohol was practised at the hotel and that appropriate practices, procedures, training and supervision were in place to prevent intoxication,’ Ms Lin said.
‘Apart from breaking the law, the actions of hotel staff put the patron at risk of significant harm.
‘As this case shows, venues that fail to abide by responsible service of alcohol requirements can expect to be caught and face significant consequences.’
The hotel’s liquor licence has since been transferred to a new licensee.
The man, nicknamed Little John, allegedly could not stand at the end of his binge drinking session and had to be carried out of the venue by friends
The ILGA ‘s website states a disciplinary matter involving the hotel had been ‘determined’ on March 20.
An ILGA spokesperson said this is not why the hotel had been closed.
‘The NSW independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) has not ordered the closure of the Gladstone Hotel, Stockton,’ an ILGA spokeswoman told the Daily Telegraph.
Shortly after the incident, ILGA dealt with a separate noise complaint involving the hotel.
The December 2021 complaint included statements from neighbours who gave a list of grievances deriving from the hotel.
These included ‘drunkenness, littering, fighting, property damage’, ‘threats and violence from patrons’, and ‘patrons urinating on residents’ homes and cars’.
‘The complainant submits additional seating in the beer garden has increased the frequency of live music, jam sessions, happy hours and functions,’ it said.
ILGA dismissed the complaint, noting the hotel had held its liquor licence ‘for approximately 66 years’.
‘It is reasonable to expect some level of disturbance will be generated from the normal operation of the hotel,’ its report said.
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