Unconscious male found in nightclub staffroom, music event held during lockdown

The Prahran venue has been found to have breached Covid restrictions and other license requirements.

The Victorian Liquor Commission has handed down a $20,000 fine to the Love Machine’s owners.

Love Machine nightclub has landed its owners in hot water with the Victorian Liquor Commission handing down a $20,000 fine.

Sterling Nightclubs Pty Ltd has been ordered to pay a $20,000 fine, with the commission finding they had breached Covid restrictions and other license requirements.

The sole director of Sterling Nightclubs Pty Ltd Dhir Kakar, admitted that a live music event took place at the Prahran venue in June 2020, during the Victorian Government’s Covid-19 Lockdown regulations.

Police also discovered an unconscious male in the venues staffroom in August 2019 during a period in which officers regularly attended the club responding to incidents outside the venue.

A live music event took place at the Love Machine nightclub in June 2020, during lockdown. Picture: David Geraghty

Accompanying the financial sanction, the venue’s owners must implement a gender-based violence program.

Despite the breaches, Police inspector Andrew Stamper noted Mr Kakar and management’s “willingness” to cooperate with Victoria Police.

“The professional relationship with the current Love Machine management is very good.”

Further directions were also imposed upon the management group including: biannual reviews from an independent risk management consultant and from Liquor inspectors to determine whether the venue has been operating satisfactorily for the previous six months.

The nightclub faced a string of police investigations between 2019 and 2021 including two men being murdered.

Security Guard Aaron Khalid Osmania md Richard Arow were gunned down in April 2019 after six shots were fired in a drive-by shooting

Jacob Elliott and Alan Fares were sentenced to life in prison for the attack which left a further three wounded.

Several alleged sex offences have been committed on the premise, including an alleged rape that took place in the toilets on New Year’s Day in 2020.

The decision from the Victorian Liquor Commission was published on June 13, threatened the management team with further sanctions should they breach licensing conditions again.