The former owners of Soundbox Karaoke in Dickson have been fined $20,000 and banned from applying for a liquor licence for 18 months after a series of serious breaches of the venue's liquor licence regulations.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The penalties were against the former owners and not against the current operators of the business.
Presidential member of the ACT administrative tribunal Mary-Therese Daniel called the venue's record "a short history of serious breaches", which included a patron being transported to hospital by ambulance, another being found unconscious in a trail of vomit and patrons violently scuffling with other patrons.
Two of the incidents involved a minor.
"The incidents were serious and had the potential to cause more harm than they did," the tribunal said.
In one incident, at around 11.40pm on June 2 last year, an 18-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl were transported to hospital by paramedics due to intoxication, but when the police requested CCTV footage from staff, it was not provided.
Staff admitted they hadn't asked for identification.
"These young ladies were regulars and there were no checks done on identification for either of them," police were told.
The following night, police attending the venue for a compliance check found a man lying on a lounge in the main karaoke room.
"A trail of vomit went from the male’s mouth to the floor. The male appeared to be unconscious. Other occupants of the room appeared to be highly intoxicated," the tribunal said.
Near the man, police saw two empty one-litre bottles of Jonny Walker Blue Label Scotch Whisky and two empty jugs they were told had contained beer, as well an unopened case of beer. The staff had been unaware of the unconscious man.
Two weeks later on June 17, paramedics attended the venue again due a male patron's level of intoxication. In this case, CCTV footage showed staff continued to serve the man alcohol even though he was visibly intoxicated, given how he walked, handled money and attempted to operate the karaoke machine.
The man slumped unconscious at 1.35am, but wasn't found by staff for another 40 minutes.
Police attended the venue again on July 1 and 2, and spoke with three men in a room. One of the men couldn't provide identification and admitted to being 17 years old.
Police found an open bottle of Jim Beam bourbon,which was three-quarters empty, as well as other unlabelled bottles police were told were tea.
While the 17-year-old told police he hadn't consumed any alcohol, it was still a breach of the venue's liquor licence for him to be on the premises.
In another incident in November last year, six men were in a karaoke room when one appeared to drink straight from a wine bottle and then swung the bottle towards two men sitting next to him, hitting one in the head with a "glancing blow".
A scuffle then broke out between the man who was hit and another trying to prevent him from leaving the venue, along with two others.
Staff didn't intervene in the incident, even though the door to the room was ajar.
In total, the previous owners of Soundbox were found to have breached their liquor licence in eight different ways.
ACT Fair Trading Commissioner David Snowden praised the decision, which included a public reprimand of the owners.
"This action sends a strong message to licensees that they have a legal obligation to not supply liquor to an intoxicated person on licensed premises," Mr Snowden said.
"Supplying liquor to intoxicated people contributes to antisocial behaviour [and] alcohol-related violence, the costs of which are borne by injured individuals and the whole community."
