Every week TheShout scours reports from every state and territory in the country to bring you news on crimes affecting the hotel, club and liquor industries. Know of an incident we’ve missed? Give us a shout at editor@54.64.152.77.
SA
South Australian Police arrested a 17-year-old male over a drive-by shooting at an Adelaide nightclub. It is believed the teenager was kicked out of the club on Gouger Street shortly before the shooting and was seen walking to his car with a gun. Moments later seven shots were fired into the bar’s upstairs windows, missing the people inside. The teenager has been charged with acts to endanger life and will appear in the youth court at a later date.
QLD
Two men armed with electro-muscular disruption devices attempted to rob a hotel in Ipswich on Monday night. The men threatened two attendants and attempted to gain entry to the safe but were unsuccessful and fled through the rear doors empty handed. The attendants were not seriously injured during the incident.
A man was glassed in an unprovoked attacked at a Mooloolaba nightclub on Sunday night. The victim received serious laceration to the right side of his face and neck and was conveyed to hospital for treatment. The offender was restrained by security staff until police arrived and charged with one count of grievous bodily harm.
VIC
A security guard at a hotel in Richmond received deep lacerations to his forehead and was conveyed to hospital after being attacked with a bottle on Friday night. The incident occurred when a fight broke out between security staff and a group of men being evicted from the hotel. Police arrived within minutes and quickly arrested four men in their early twenties. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
A man carrying a long barrelled firearm confronted an attendant as she was locking an Essendon hotel on Tuesday morning. The attendant was forced into the cashier’s office where, at the direction of the offender, she was tied up with cable by the night manager. Tills were emptied and cash was stolen. The offender then restrained the night manager and told the pair to lie on the ground and not move for twenty minutes. He then ran from the hotel through the rear door toward the football ground. He is believed to be between 40 and 60 years old and was wearing a yellow reflective safety vest and balaclava.
Melbourne Police attributed a decrease in antisocial behaviour over the long weekend to the new 2:00am lockout, extra security at premises exempt from the lockout, a strong police presence on the streets and poor weather. They said there did not appear to be any noticeable change in patron or licensee behaviour at 2:00am as a result of the new lockout process. Eight lockout breaches were identified, 20 licensing offences were detected and 34 drunk arrests were made.
NSW
Three men armed with a handgun and a knife entered a hotel in the Sydney suburb of Hurlstone Park on Monday night and stole cash from the registers before fleeing on foot. All three had their faces covered at the time of the robbery.
Surry Hills Police arrested more than 70 people over the long weekend for various offences during Operation Rolling Thunder, including 48 people for the possession or supply of prohibited drugs. The three-day operation targeted alcohol-related crime, intoxicated people and licensed venues. Up to 30 licensing breaches detected, including underage and intoxicated patrons, drug offences, unlawfully possess Australian drivers licences, fire exits not being illuminated, provisional security guards operating without supervision and no security at the front door.
Coffs Harbour Police have conducted a licensing operation over the long weekend targeting alcohol-related crime. Operation Spray was a high visibility licensing operation targeting hotspots and licensed premises, and included a zero tolerance for anyone found consuming alcohol in alcohol-free zones. Eighteen business inspections were conducted during the operation, resulting in one Gaming Machine Act breach and one Liquor Act offense for supply liquor to minor.
Sydney Police spotted a 30-year-old man acting suspiciously in a laneway adjacent to a nightclub on Oxford Street at about 12:50am on Monday. After speaking with the man, officers discovered a semi-automatic machine gun similar in appearance to an Uzi along with 32 rounds inside his carry bag. The man was arrested and charged with being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence, possess firearm and other firearm related offences.