Graham Wade owns Flannagan’s Irish Pub and Settler’s Tavern, with wife, Christine Wade.
Graham Wade owns Flannagan’s Irish Pub and Settler’s Tavern, with wife, Christine Wade.
An investigation into two Tauranga bars following a string of drunken disorder, which saw a patron drive on the wrong side of the road and crash after leaving the pub, has resulted in one of the heaviest penalties dished out by the Liquor Licencing Authority in the Western Bay.
Taurangabar owner Christine Wade has had her licence suspended for four months and her bar, Flannagan's Irish Pub (also known as Flannagan's Sports Bar), will be closed for 14 days after "serious" and "persistent" offending, an authority ruling stated.
Mrs Wade's other bar Settler's Tavern had its licence suspended for 24 hours.
Graham Wade.
Liquor Licencing and alcohol harm reduction co-ordinator Sergeant Nigel McGlone said the investigation was launched following a series of incidents involving intoxicated behaviour from people believed to be patrons of the two establishments. Mr McGlone told the Bay of Plenty Times he was pleased with the ruling, which he said was "significant".
"I've been doing this for nine years and this is the longest suspension I've seen from one hearing," said Mr McGlone.
"When you look at it in its entirety over the long period of time and the incidents that were happening, that's probably indicative from the way the authority views it."
Settler's Tavern has had it's license suspended.
The incidents include a heavily intoxicated Mongrel Mob member at Settlers who blew 980 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath and an intoxicated woman staggering so badly she fell and injured her head at Flannagan's.
Several drink drivers were caught shortly after being spotted on CCTV cameras leaving the bars.
The night the woman injured herself, police stated in the ruling that they observed a Flannagan's patron knocking into a table, spilling drinks and sparking a hail of abuse from other patrons.
"All of the patrons were slightly dishevelled and appeared to be highly inebriated and aggressive towards each other," the ruling said.
In the ruling, the authority questioned Mrs Wade's credibility after she signed off on general licence applications for staff giving false information about how long they had been employed at the establishment.
Mrs Wade signed off on two applications for manager's certificates, in one, she stated an employee had worked for six months prior.
Police discovered this was false and the staff member had only worked there for a month.
All of the patrons were slightly dishevelled and appeared to be highly inebriated and aggressive towards each other.
The authority said Mrs Wade's defence that she had made an "honest mistake" did not convince it.
The authority also referred to Mrs Wade appearing to have a "faulty memory" after she stated no charges had ever been brought against her or husband and co-owner Graham Wade in relation to the bars.
In 2008, Flannagan's Sports Bar had its on-licence suspended for 24 hours and the general manager's certificate was suspended for 60 days.
