Hidden Valley Tavern ordered to close drive-through doors for 48 hours for banned drinker breaches

A DARWIN pub has been ordered to shut its drive-through doors for 48 hours after admitting staff failed to check customers’ ID against the Banned Drinker Register 192 times in December

THE Hidden Valley Tavern will be banned from selling takeaway grog for a weekend after staff were busted breaching banned drinker requirements 192 times in December.

The Liquor Commission heard workers at the pub failed to scan patrons’ ID to check them against the Banned Drinker Register 93 times between December 9 and December 12, with the breaches captured on CCTV.

Then between December 13 and December 15, the workers failed to complete the scans a further 99 times.

Licensee Ronald Townsend admitted to 192 breaches of the Liquor Act and three of the pub’s employees — Tamara Holten, Toby Brown and Jody Rayney — accepted responsibility for the breaches.

MORE TOP NT NEWS

Cattle duffing issue falling on deaf ears

Full list of the 44 witnesses expected to give evidence in the trial of former cop Peter Bravos

Police yet to hand out eScooter fines despite riders routinely breaking little known laws

But the trio told the commission they had no intention of deliberately selling alcohol to banned drinkers and the breaches arose from “a complacent attitude toward regular customers and a desire to provide prompt service”.

Mr Townsend told the commission he was interstate at the time but accepted that “the buck stops with me”

Commission chairman Richard Coates said he accepted Mr Townsend and his employees were “genuinely remorseful” for the breaches and in the latter case, for the consequences for their employer.

“(The workers) each offered to tender their resignations but the licensee has decided to keep them on,” he said.

The Hidden Valley Tavern will be banned from selling takeaway grog for a weekend after staff were busted breaching banned drinker requirements 192 times.

“The commission is prepared to accept their assurances that they now appreciate the seriousness of their past failures and that they will comply with the BDR requirements in the future.”

Mr Coates said Mr Townsend had “a long and proud history” in the hospitality industry and gave him credit for his “relatively good” past compliance record.

“The commission accepts the submission made by his counsel that this tavern is operated as a family business with a close and supportive relationship between management and staff,” he said.

However, Mr Coates said while there was no evidence of a deliberate intention to sell to banned drinkers it became clear during the hearing that the breaches were not a “one off” but a result of “a longstanding, systemic failure”.

LIMITED TIME – Discounted NT News subscription: Read everything for $1

“It is possible that this packaged liquor outlet’s cavalier attitude to the requirements of the BDR could have encouraged problem drinkers to try their luck at the Hidden Valley Tavern,” he said.

“So there is a real risk that banned drinkers would have been able to purchase liquor from this outlet.”

The tavern was ordered to close its drive-through for 48 hours from 9am on August 22 and upgrade its CCTV system.

Follow @jas_walls