By Andy Young
The former licensee of the Dreamgirls nightclub in the Sydney suburb of Kings Cross has been convicted and fined for operating a clandestine unlicensed bar.
David Wilhelm Lakepa was fined $7000 and ordered to pay $1500 in legal costs as a result of the conviction.
Lakepa was prosecuted by Liquor & Gaming NSW on two charges after a joint raid with police last December uncovered the illegal bar operating upstairs in the nightclub.
During the raid L&G NSW inspectors uncovered the makeshift bar which had been operating without a licence on Level 1 of the club and also found numerous bottles of spirits, glasses, a bar fridge containing beer, and served spirits on a table.
Lakepa, who was in the basement level of Dreamgirls at the time of the raid, initially denied any knowledge of illegal alcohol sales upstairs but later confirmed he had instructed employees and sales had been occurring there for several months. He pleaded guilty to two offences under the Liquor Act – assisting in conducting the business of an unlicensed premises and, as a licensee, allowing others to sell alcohol at an unauthorised premises.
Following the raid Dreamgirls was served with a long-term closure order and has since surrendered its liquor licence.