A central Dunedin pub skating on thin ice over locked fire exits is in hot water once again after police were abused by patrons during a drunken 21st.
The city’s chief licensing inspector is opposing The Bog Irish Bar’s bid to renew its liquor licence, saying the incidents raise questions about its suitability to sell alcohol.
Meanwhile, a member of the public who claims he was banned from the pub says its owners are ‘‘bent on unbridled retribution’’.
The pub came under fire earlier this year after an inspector discovered two of its three ground-floor fire exits were ‘‘pad-bolted and locked’’ while the premises was open for business.
A verbal request to unlock the fire exits was made and a letter delivered the next day, but a visit by police days later found the exits were still ‘‘locked and/or blocked’’.
That culminated in an application by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) to suspend the pub’s liquor licence, which was ultimately withdrawn following a hearing in May.
But the pub, months later, received a warning letter from police for an incident in September.
Police were patrolling outside the premises about 11.30pm one Saturday when ‘‘a number of patrons in [the pub’s] upstairs outdoor area began yelling abuse at police’’, the letter said.
‘‘Police discovered a 21st birthday party in the upstairs bar.
‘‘Police assessed multiple patrons as intoxicated, a number of who continued to abuse police.’’
The sole bartender upstairs did not initially engage with police ‘‘and appeared to have no idea as to the levels of intoxication in the venue’’.
‘‘Furthermore, the seats, tables, and floor in the venue were a mess with leftover food scraps.’’
Police spoke to the adults responsible for the party who agreed to end the event, the letter said.
In her report to Dunedin’s district licensing committee, chief licensing inspector Tanya Morrison said the locked fire exits and warning issued by police had both occurred within the applicant’s first year of holding a liquor licence.
This raised questions about their suitability, she said.
Their systems, staff, and training also needed to be considered ‘‘to ensure incidents such as having intoxicated persons onsite, and ensuring no fire exits are blocked, simply does not occur.’’
Ms Morrison noted the applicant had made attempts to address the matters of concern.
The committee also received an objection letter from a member of the public, Jim George.
He claimed he had been ‘‘barred’’ from The Bog because the owners believed he reported them to the authorities regarding the locked fire exits.
‘‘When they learned I did not report them, they then decided on barring me anyway for not ratting on my friend to them for reporting on them.’’
Not only had the owners ‘‘shown utter contempt for the law’’, they ‘‘insisted upon spiteful vengeance on those patrons they falsely believe to have done their civic duty by reporting to the fire service’’.
‘‘This has included slander and the barring of a longtime innocent patron who has nothing to do with this debacle, causing hurt and distress.’’
Instead of accepting their wrong-doing and moving on, the owners were ‘‘bent on unbridled retribution’’, Mr George said.
In her report, Acting Sergeant Chelsea Didham said the bar was quick to respond and take proposed actions to rectify the offending in September.
There had been no issues since the warning was issued, she said.
The Bog has been approached for comment.