Owners of SA’s Golden Boy restaurant challenge $5k fine for alleged breach of Covid-19 rules after Parafield cluster

A top Adelaide restaurant will fight accusations it breached Covid-19 restrictions – with SA Health heading there for a press conference one month later.

A top Thai restaurant that hosted a state government Covid-19 press conference will fight a $5000 fine for allegedly breaching restrictions after November’s snap lockdown.

Golden Boy and its licensee, James Hillier, faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday charged with one count of being a body corporate that failed to comply with a direction.

The charge arises from allegations that, on November 27 last year, SA Police attended the popular North Terrace restaurant and performed a headcount of patrons.

Police allege the number of diners present breached restrictions in force following SA’s second pandemic lockdown, sparked by the Parafield cluster.

One month later, chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier and Health Minister Stephen Wade held a press conference at the venue, and posed for photos with diners.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier with Sarah and Tom Hillier from Brisbane and their children Lucinda, Alister and Henry at Golden Boy Thai restaurant on December 19 last year. Picture: Brenton Edwards.

Outside court, Mr Hillier said the restaurant was subsequently fined $5000 for the alleged breach and decided to challenge the expiation.

“We think there was a difference between the events of the night and the allegations,” he said.

“I wasn’t there on the night, one of the other licensees was … he’s very keen to go through the evidence with the police prosecutor.

“Our view is that the recollection of the manager on the night differs in a material manner from the evidence that’s been given to us today.

“Whether or not that means we’ll be exonerated, I can’t speak to that.”

Golden Boy licensee James Hillier outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court, where he is challenging a $5000 fine for alleged breaches of COVID-19 restrictions. Picture: Sean Fewster.

Named for a brand of fish sauce, Golden Boy is well known for its wide range of flavours, attentive staff and authentic representation of Thai cuisine.

Its speciality is the tuktuk option, which hands control of the menu to staff who bring out dishes of their choice, tailored to the diners’ palate.

In court on Friday, Mr Hillier said he had only just been served with a copy of the allegations, despite having received the fine in November.

He asked the court for time to seek legal advice, and the matter was remanded until October.

Outside court, Mr Hillier said he was confident the case could progress now that he had a detailed summary of the allegations.

“We were visited on the night, a headcount was done under the recently-altered conditions that we were trading under,” he said.

“We received, I think it was between eight and 12 weeks later, an expiation and that is as far as it’s gone.

“We received an expiation with very little detail and this is the first occasion it’s been able to come to court for us to seek the evidence from the night.”

Mr Hillier said his staff’s account of the night of the alleged breach “differs in a material matter” from SA Police’s claims. Picture: Sean Fewster.

He said he was in no way critical of police over the matter.

“We were visited, as were most businesses, multiple times on multiple nights during that period … it was ongoing, back-and-forth,” he said.

“The police were generally very good to deal with through the whole period, very understanding because these things are very fluid.

“People come in, people come out, it was new for everyone to be dealing with these problems at the time.

“I’m confident that, when we work through the evidence with the police, we will either reach some form of compromise or we will accept the expiation as it stands.”

He said Golden Boy diners could be assured the restaurant would continue to operate and do so in line with current restrictions.

“We take our responsibilities very seriously and, obviously, particularly at the moment … we’re just happy to be back trading after the recent (2021) lockdown,” he said.

“It’s a multi-zone venue but our staff are very vigilant, we have three managers on every night (with) multiple Covid marshals.”