'He could hardly stand': Drunk men interrupt University of Otago law lecture

A group of drunk men disturbed a law lecture at the University of Otago. Photo / 123RF

The University of Otago's Campus Watch had to intervene when a group of drunk men, including one who could hardly stand, disrupted a first-year law lecture last month, the university has revealed.

Law lecturer Professor Ceri Warnock told Critic Te Arohi student magazine and later the Otago Daily Times about three weeks ago one of her lectures was disrupted by a group of "around four to five men who appeared drunk and rowdy".

"They sat at the back of the lecture theatre. They were calling out and shouting at the beginning of the lecture. After they refused to calm down, I went up to them and told them all to leave - which they did," she said.

"Unfortunately, two of them then came back into the theatre by the ground entrance door and started shouting again. One started arguing with me but he was so drunk he could hardly stand up.

"At that point I went to call for Campus Watch. They'd left by the time I came back."

Critic described the men as "drinking Billy Mavs [bourbon and cola] and brew-filled Pump bottles and calling out, clapping and shouting excessively throughout the lecture".

The university did not comment when asked whether similar incidents had happened before.

However, university proctor Dave Scott described the behaviour as "unusual and highly inappropriate".

The proctor's office was still investigating, and if the men were found to be students exclusion from the university was a possibility.

"A request has been made for the CCTV footage to be reviewed, in accordance with our CCTV policy."