Brisbane restaurateur Damien Griffiths criticised for missing court date

BRISBANE restaurateur Damian Griffiths has copped a blast for taking off on an overseas trip when he was due to be sentenced on food safety charges - involving allegations of rat droppings at one of his high-profile restaurants.

Brisbane businessman Damian Griffiths was due to appear in court this morning. File picture

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EMBATTLED Brisbane restaurateur Damian Griffiths has been criticised for taking off on an overseas trip when he was due to be sentenced on food safety charges today.

Griffiths, whose hospitality empire Bubbles Bar and Bistro fell into liquidation last week, was due to personally face seven charges brought on by Brisbane City Council and his company, Limes Properties Pty Ltd, faced six charges of failing to comply with food standards.

According to court documents, there was “a live rodent in the restaurant” on October 4, 2016.

In the same month, council inspectors found rat droppings in multiple areas including under the kitchen bench and under a downstairs bar.

It is also alleged Griffiths failed to arrange for the business’s food licence to be renewed when it expired between September 13, 2016 and October 7 of the same year.

According to the file, Griffiths pleaded guilty to the charges in writing last year.

But the Brisbane Magistrates Court was told this morning the case — which involves allegations of rat droppings found at Les Bubbles restaurant — needed to be adjourned because Griffiths had changed lawyers, and he was overseas.

His legal representative was a law clerk from a local firm, and he told Magistrate Suzette Coates that Griffiths has “been overseas for a period of time”.

“I don’t run this court on the basis that everyone needs a holiday,” Ms Coates replied.

Council lawyer Andrea Lopez said the case had been set down for sentence since November, and it was “peculiar” that Griffiths would choose to be overseas.

The court was told Griffiths had raised questions as to if he was the proper respondent in the case and also alluded to his own health issues.

Ms Coates said that had nothing to do with “rodent faeces” and claimed the application to adjourn the case was “somewhat pathetic”.

She eventually granted the adjournment until next week on the basis that Griffiths had changed lawyers.

It comes after creditors last week voted to tip Bubbles Bar and Bistro into liquidation, following a scathing administrator’s report which claimed the company “may have been insolvent from as early as December 2015”.

Bubbles Bar and Bistro collapsed in December owing $1.32 million and had just $5.62 in the bank.

In December, a District Court judge ordered Griffiths to pay back relatives more than $550,000 after he defaulted on a loan related to the Limes Hotel.

The hotel has been on the market since 2015.

Les Bubbles management said the charges were against the previous management of the restaurant.

“The issue took place in October 2016 and it is our understanding that it was immediately addressed,” a statement read.

“The team at Les Bubbles take all food safety issues very seriously and adhere to very high standards.

“The restaurant has had several pest inspections and all checks are up to date under the new management.”