Police close Katherine Hotel for 48 hours
The Katherine Hotel in the NT has been closed down for 48 hours after police exercised their powers under Section 48B of the Liquor Act and suspended its license.
The move followed a series of incidents beginning in August. Between August 8 and October 13, there were 28 referrals identifying the Katherine Hotel as being the place of consumption of the last alcoholic drink prior to an individual being taken into police custody.
On September 20, Police allegedly observed a heavily intoxicated female purchase a 1.125 litre bottle of spirits from the Katherine Hotel bottle shop. The woman was spoken to by Police and was found to have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.183 per cent.
On September 29, a fight on corner of Giles Street and Katherine Terrace saw Police called. The fight involved a number of intoxicated people who had been recently ejected from the Katherine Hotel after it had closed.
On October 20 , an intoxicated man was arrested outside the Katherine Hotel after fighting and engaging in disorderly behaviour within view of the public that may have been within the Katherine Central Business District at the time of offending.
“The level of drunkenness and the correlation between alcohol consumption and offending (in particular domestic and family violence) is sufficient in my view that further offence of this type are likely, which would pose a threat to public safety, should alcohol service remain available to the community,” said Commander (Central Command) Michael Hebb said.
The hotel had previously been closed under the same law back in August.
Sheridan Randall, 26th October 2018
