Royal Croquet Club: Adelaide Fringe event prosecuted over ‘breaches to alcohol laws’

ALREADY embroiled in a row over the use of prime public city space, one of the Fringe Festival’s biggest events is also being prosecuted over suspected alcohol law breaches.

ONE of the Fringe Festival’s biggest venues is being prosecuted over suspected alcohol law breaches.

The Royal Croquet Club — which was already embroiled in a row over use of prime public city space — has been accused by police of two breaches of the Liquor Licencing Act during last year’s event in Victoria Square.

Court documents state the club, which has come under fire over its impact on nearby bricks and mortar businesses, did not have adequate crowd controls and served too much alcohol to patrons.

The club appeared in the Licensing Court on Monday after “disciplinary action” action was launched in December last year. The brief hearing was told negotiations between the parties were ongoing.

Club officials, who did not attend court, face fines of up to $15,000 or having their licence disqualified or revoked, if found guilty.

According to a complaint from the police licensing enforcement branch, tendered to the court, the club is accused of two breaches of liquor laws in March last year.

A worker removes damaged turf in Victoria Square after the Royal Croquet Club packed up. Picture: Stephen Laffer

The first, occurred between 10pm and 11.30pm on March 8 when the club “permitted patrons to line up at least three abreast on Victoria Square, which spilled over” into nearby streets.

This, police said, created a “hazard” for traffic and pedestrians who were standing up lining up in the roadway.

When officers attended, they asked to speak to a manager. But a security guard, Andew Bigham “insisted that he was the person to talk to but refused to take any action”, the documents state.

“The endangerment of the safety, health and welfare of patrons was only reduced once police officers park a marked police vehicle with emergency lights flashing,” police told the court.

“Police then also approached one of the persons in charge, Stuart Duckworth, who organised additional security to administer the line-up.”

The following night, police allege, a second breach occurred between midnight and 1pm when the club sold more than two servings of alcohol to individual patrons on at least six occasions.

A condition of its licence was it could serve no more than two cups, or cans, of alcohol to anyone after 11pm.

Tom Skipper, Stuart Duckworth and Sam Weckert from the Royal Croquet Club.

The disclosures come as the club’s operators, who pulled in 350,000 guests and $9 million in revenue over two years, consider their options amid a lack Adelaide City Council support.

Complaints about damage to the square’s lawns and from the hotel industry have put the venue at risk. Arts Minister Jack Snelling has raised fears it could be poached interstate.

Mr Duckworth, a club co-founder, described the action as “minor”, which related to last year’s event but declined to comment further.

“It is really a minor breach of the conditions and the jury is out … about what will happen,” he said outside court. “This year’s event went off without a hitch and there were no issues.”

The matter returns to court in June.