Downs Hotel to fight $6672 fine for alleged COVID-19 breaches

A Toowoomba Regional Council fine of $6672 for alleged COVID-19 breaches against a Drayton hotel is to be fought in court.

A Drayton hotel has taken its fight against a Toowoomba Regional Council’s COVID-19 fine to the city’s Magistrates Court.

Downs Hotel owner Simon Thompson appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Friday on a charge of “failing to comply with a COVID-19 public health direcion - CHO”, as the charge appeared on court documents.

Asked by Magistrate Kay Ryan where the matter was going, Mr Thompson replied: “I plead not guilty”.

Solicitor Harrison Humphries, of Clifford Gouldson Lawyers, prosecuting on behalf of the Toowoomba Regional Council, asked for an adjournment so a full brief of evidence could be compiled and provided to the defence.

As reported in The Chronicle in November 2020, Mr Thompson had been handed an infringement notice for a $6672 fine in October 2020 on a charge of breaching COVID-19 rules.

The notice came after Queensland Police Service, Toowoomba Regional Council, Queensland Health and Queensland Liquor Licensing safety officers inspected the Downs Hotel last year.

It was alleged they found two bistro dining chairs had been placed back-to-back at different tables but were less than 1.5 metres apart, and in the public bar there were allegedly three tables placed less than 1.5 metres apart.

The fine was issued some months later.

Mr Thompson sought a review of the fine but it was upheld leaving the parties to fight it out in court.

Ms Ryan adjourned the proceedings to January 14, 2022, back in the same court for summary callover, by which time the brief of evidence should have been disclosed to Mr Thompson.

After that court mention, the matter is expected to be set down for a summary hearing.