The former licensee of a small regional pub has been banned from holding a liquor license for two years after a man was served 35 standard drinks in six hours.
The NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) has 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 prohibited from holding the positions of liquor licensee and approved manager, or of being a close collaborator 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 one shot of liquor on March 6, 2021.
CCTV from the day shows Little John having his first drink at 11am before becoming so drunk that when 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 one shot of liquor on March 6, 2021 at the Gladstone Hotel in the Newcastle suburb of Stockton.
Footage showed little John falling four times during the session until his friends were forced to gather around to help stabilize him.
On the last occasion he fell, he was seen stumbling and grabbing onto the bar for support before his friends picked him up, picked up a limb each and carried him outside before taking him to hospital.
ILGA’s decision followed a disciplinary complaint from Liquor & Gaming NSW which alleged bar staff continued to serve the man alcohol when he was visibly intoxicated.
The complaint adds that bar staff did not call for medical help, even when he repeatedly fell at the bar.
Liquor & Gaming NSW executive director of regulatory operations Jane Lin said Little John was at serious risk of harm under these conditions.
“It was due to the licensee’s failure to ensure that responsible alcohol service was practiced at the hotel and that appropriate practices, procedures, training and supervision were implemented to prevent intoxication,” Ms Lin said.
‘In addition to breaking the law, the hotel staff’s actions put the guest at risk of significant harm.
“As this case shows, venues that fail to comply with responsible alcohol service requirements can expect to be caught and face significant consequences.”
The hotel’s liquor license has since been transferred to a new owner.
The man, nicknamed Little John, was allegedly unable to stand at the end of his drunken session and had to be carried out of the venue by his friends.
The ILGA The hotel’s website states that a disciplinary matter involving the hotel had been “determined” on March 20.
An ILGA spokesperson said that was not the reason the hotel had been closed.
“The independent NSW Liquor and 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 another noise complaint involving the hotel.
The December 2021 complaint included statements from neighbors that gave a list of grievances arising from the hotel.
These included “drunkenness, littering, fighting, property damage,” “threats and violence by customers,” and “customers urinating in residents’ homes and cars.”
“Plaintiff claims that the additional seating in the beer garden has increased the frequency of live music, jam sessions, happy hours and performances,” he said.
ILGA dismissed the complaint, noting that the hotel had maintained its liquor license “for approximately 66 years.”
“It is reasonable to expect that some level of disruption will be generated due to the normal operation of the hotel,” the report said.
