Travis Mark Fitch: Warwick man smashes up pub, nearby business in drunken rampage

Being asked to leave the popular Warwick venue was enough to send the man into a violent spiral, first targeting pub property before causing hundreds of dollars in damage to a neighbouring business. FULL DETAILS:

A boozy night out has quickly escalated to an aggressive drunken outburst for a young Warwick man, earning him a date with a magistrate and a hefty price to pay.

Travis Mark Fitch was at The Malt House just before 12.30am on March 27 when he was denied service at the bar due to his intoxicated state and was asked to leave the premises.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa told Warwick Magistrates Court that the 24-year-old became frustrated and angry, first asking to speak to the pub’s security team before violently lashing out.

“While standing out the front, he has picked up two gold-coloured concierge poles and has forcibly thrown them onto the driveway of the premises,” he said.

Police were called to the popular pub on another matter shortly after Fitch’s first aggressive act, where they soon noticed the Warwick man loitering around the Andersens building next door.

Sergeant de Lissa said officers looked on as Fitch smashed his fist into a window in anger, cracking the glass pane and cutting his hand.

The Warwick man’s drunken outburst left him with a large repairs bill, including $211 owed to the Malt House in damages and another $712 to Andersens.

Duty lawyer Clare Hine told the court her client was a hardworking man who had simply had too much to drink that night.

“He tells me he’s very embarrassed and remorseful to be here,” she said.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told Fitch he should be embarrassed by his offending, which she described as “pretty poor behaviour” that left two businesses with hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs.

“It’s your responsibility, your behaviour when you drink. It’s not the alcohol’s fault, it’s yours, and if when you drink you become an annoying and antisocial person, you need to address that yourself,” she said.

Fitch pleaded guilty to two counts of wilful damage.

He was fined $500 and ordered to pay full restitution. No conviction was recorded.