Issued by the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority
The licensee of Sydney CBD’s Assembly Bar has received a first strike from the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) for allowing a patron to become so intoxicated she needed medical attention after drinking shots with a bartender.
ILGA has imposed a strike against licensee Jeremy Nicholas King under the NSW Government’s Three Strikes disciplinary scheme.
Police found the woman unconscious at 2am on Kent Street on Friday 26 April 2019. She was unresponsive, smelt heavily of alcohol and had blood shot eyes. They immediately arranged for an ambulance to attend to the woman.
CCTV footage shows two patrons enter Assembly Bar, located in Regent Place Shopping Centre, at 11.30pm, where they order and consume three shots of alcohol each over seven minutes. While the couple look intoxicated, they were not refused service. One of the bartenders drank shots with the couple on two occasions.
ILGA chair Philip Crawford said this case is an example of blatant disregard for responsible service of alcohol obligations.
“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,” Mr Crawford said.
“The fact that she was found passed out, unresponsive and requiring immediate medical attention highlights the serious risk of injury or death.
“This case is particularly shocking with one bartender actively encouraging the patron’s behaviour by drinking shots with her. The poor practices exhibited by Assembly Bar reflect inadequate staff training and awareness to sufficiently monitor and supervise patron behaviour.”
ILGA is considering imposing additional conditions on Assembly Bar’s licence including operating to an approved plan of management, and maintaining specific requirements for CCTV footage.
Licensees with strikes face a range of remedial action and those incurring three strikes can have their licences suspended or be permanently removed from the industry.
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