A hotel in New South Wales has lost its liquor licence after authorities concluded that staff repeatedly failed to stop serving a heavily intoxicated customer, culminating in an incident where the patron collapsed outside the venue after consuming an extraordinary amount of alcohol.
Regulators determined that the failures reflected serious breaches of responsible alcohol service laws, leading to action against the operators of the Gladstone Hotel in Stockton.
Investigation Focused on Two Separate Drinking Sessions
The decision followed an investigation by Liquor and Gaming NSW, which examined two occasions involving the same customer during 2024.
Officials found that on both visits, staff continued supplying alcohol despite the patron displaying obvious signs of intoxication.
The incidents ultimately resulted in the couple operating the pub losing their licence to manage the venue.
Customer Consumed Around 40 Drinks Before Collapse
The most serious event occurred on March 23, 2024, when the customer arrived at the hotel shortly after midday and remained there for roughly five hours.
During that period, he was served 19 beers along with a tequila and a Cointreau.
Witnesses later reported seeing him stumble into furniture and behave unusually by becoming excessively friendly with other customers.
After leaving the hotel, CCTV footage captured the man collapsing on the street outside the premises.
A passer-by stopped to help before assisting him into a vehicle.
Regulators Say Warning Signs Were Ignored
Authorities concluded that staff had multiple opportunities to intervene but failed to do so.
According to the investigation, bar manager Mark Keegan continued serving the customer throughout the afternoon, at one stage delivering another pint before the previous drink had been finished.
Keegan later maintained that the patron appeared largely unaffected, saying he had noticed only a slight stumble.
However, regulators rejected that assessment, stating the customer’s condition clearly demonstrated visible intoxication that should have prompted staff to stop serving alcohol much earlier.
Officials Stress Duty of Responsible Service
Liquor and Gaming NSW Executive Director of Regulatory Operations Dimitri Argeres said the customer displayed numerous warning signs that hospitality staff are trained to recognize.
He said those indicators should have led employees to refuse further alcohol service well before the situation reached a dangerous stage, emphasizing that licensed venues have a legal responsibility to protect both patrons and the wider public.
Earlier Incident Added to Regulatory Concerns
Investigators also examined another visit involving the same customer earlier in 2024.
On that occasion, the patron was reportedly served 22 beers and an additional shot of liquor during a single session.
That earlier breach resulted in Keegan’s wife being prohibited from managing the hotel.
Taken together, the two incidents convinced regulators that the venue had repeatedly failed to meet responsible service obligations, ultimately leading to the loss of the pub’s licence.
