Teenage death shuts NSW pub down for Christmas
A NSW pub is being shut down after a teenage boy, who had been served several drinks there one evening in March, died in a car accident after he left.
According to The Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA), the Temora Hotel will be forced to shut for 14 days from Christmas eve after the 17-year-old spent many hours drinking.
The teenager consumed 20 schooners and four rum and cokes.
ILGA chairman Philip Crawford said the incident was as horrific as it gets.
“The matter is subject to a police investigation and a coronial inquest, with the authority’s decision to suspend the hotel’s licence triggered by the sale of alcohol to a minor and the licensee’s complete failure to manage the risk of harm,” Mr Crawford said on Wednesday.
As specified by Mr Crawford, the teen spent around seven hours drinking at the pub and was not once asked for ID.
CCTV footage shows that after leaving the pub, he got into a car with another male. Witnesses confirmed he went to a party where he wasn’t provided with any alcohol, but was already heavily inebriated. The ILGA said that high levels of ecstasy were later found in his bloodstream.
The teen drove around Temora for a couple of hours and was then killed in a single vehicle collision. Police found intoxication, speed and driver error to be contributing factors in causing the crash.
“There’s no going back from such a tragedy caused by the systemic failings that put this young person in harm’s way,” Mr Crawford said.
“The messages are clear: check the ages of patrons, repeat if necessary, exclude minors from licensed areas, and do not sell alcohol to people showing signs of intoxication no matter how old they are.”
Irit Jackson, 16th December 2020
