A couple have lost their pub licence after a customer was allowed to consume about 40 alcoholic drinks before collapsing outside their establishment in New South Wales. The Liquor and Gaming NSW regulatory authority found that staff at the Gladstone Hotel in Stockton failed to intervene during two separate heavy drinking sessions involving the same patron.
Incident on March 23, 2024
According to reports, the most serious incident occurred on March 23, 2024. The man entered the pub after midday and left about five hours later. During that time he was served 19 beers, a tequila and a Cointreau. Witnesses described him “stumbling into furniture” and becoming “overly friendly with other patrons”.
CCTV footage released by the NSW hospitality and tourism department shows the man collapsing in the street outside the pub after exiting. A passer-by then assisted him and helped him into a car.
Staff failed to act
Despite clear warning signs, regulators found that bar manager Mark Keegan continued serving the customer, even bringing another pint before the previous one was finished. Keegan later insisted the customer seemed fine and that he only noticed a “slight stumble”.
Dimitri Argeres, executive director of regulatory operations at Liquor and Gaming NSW, said: “This patron displayed multiple signs of intoxication that should have been identified and acted upon by staff well before the patron reached such a dangerous state.”
Previous similar incident
Earlier in 2024, the same customer had been served 22 beers and a shot during a separate visit, leading to Keegan's wife being barred from managing the venue.
