Temora: Police charge pub, licensee and another man following death of boy

A Riverina pub, its licensee, and a young man are facing criminal charges after a 17-year-old crashed and died on a country road.

Wagga Police have charged two people and a pub after a teen died when his ute rolled on a country road. Picture: Morgan Dyer

A pub, its licensee and a 24-year-old man have been charged with supplying alcohol to a minor following the death of a 17-year-old boy in a crash after a night of drinking.

Police will allege the hotel and its 29-year-old female licensee sold drinks to the underage man while his 24-year-old mate allegedly fed the teenager alcoholic drinks before he got behind the wheel of his car and died.

Shortly after 6am on Saturday, March 21, police were called to Sebastopol, a rural village between Temora and Junee following reports a vehicle had left the road and rolled several times.

The sole occupant of a Land Cruiser ute, a 17-year-old boy, had been thrown from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Riverina Police Superintendent Bob Noble said police would allege the teen, who was visiting Temora from the Wee Waa area, was served a large amount of alcohol while at the pub the night before.

“What we have here tragically of course, comes down to the death of another country person on a country road,” Supt Noble said.

“Matters before the court will allege due diligence wasn't exercised in determining if that person was of an age that can be served alcohol.
“On the night he was socialising but whatever his reasons for being here, he never went home,” he said.

The village known as Sebastopol between Temora and Junee. Picture – Google Maps.

Following initial inquiries, investigators established that the driver had attended a licensed premises in Temora the previous evening.

“It's very tragic and I think we want to remind all licensees that they need to be extremely vigilant in terms of their responsibilities,” Supt Noble said.

The licensee, was charged with three counts of selling liquor to a minor on a licensed premises, two counts of person related to licensed premises supply liquor, and licensee sell/supply liquor to intoxicated person.

The licensed premises was charged with eleven counts of sell liquor to a minor on licensed premises, two counts of person related to licensed premises supply liquor, licensee sell/supply liquor to intoxicated person, and two counts of licensee fail to comply with conditions of licence.

The deceased’s 24-year-old mate, who was a patron at the hotel, was charged with three counts of person unrelated to licensed premises supplying liquor to a minor.

“There are a number of factors that led to the death of the young person,” Supt Noble said.

“No one is pointing a finger at any one person, but there were a number of entities who (we allege) had a part to play in terms of this tragic outcome.

“That friend would be in a world of emotional hurt,” he said.

The pair was granted conditional bail to appear in Temora Local Court on February 24.