19 beers and two shots: husband and wife sanctioned over intoxication failures

The operators of a Hunter hotel have been sanctioned after a man was served 19 beers and two shots before collapsing outside the venue.

The former manager of Stockton's Gladstone Hotel, Mark Keegan, has had his approval to manage licensed premises withdrawn after a Liquor & Gaming NSW investigation found a patron was served 21 alcoholic drinks over more than five hours before collapsing outside the venue.

The sanction against Mr Keegan follows a decision by the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) to ban his wife, former licensee Tracey Keegan, from the liquor industry for two years over a separate serious intoxication incident at the same pub. That ban was handed down in May 2024.

It means both former operators of the historic Mitchell Street hotel have now been disciplined over responsible service of alcohol failures within the space of two years.

Liquor & Gaming NSW opened its investigation into Mr Keegan after receiving a complaint that a male patron had collapsed outside the hotel on March 23, 2024.

The investigation found the patron had consumed 21 drinks - 19 beers and two shots - between 12.57pm and 6.27pm, before leaving the venue in an advanced state of intoxication.

ILGA found Mr Keegan had failed in his responsibility as approved manager to ensure the venue was properly supervised and managed, and ordered the withdrawal of his approval to manage licensed premises.

Liquor & Gaming NSW executive director of regulatory operations Dimitri Argeres said the incident highlighted the serious consequences of failing to uphold responsible service of alcohol obligations.

"This patron displayed multiple signs of intoxication that should have been identified and acted upon by staff well before the patron reached such a dangerous state," Mr Argeres said.

"This is particularly concerning given this is the second serious intoxication matter involving the Gladstone Hotel in recent years.

"Venues must have effective systems in place to identify intoxication, intervene early and protect patrons from harm. Where those systems fail, Liquor & Gaming NSW will take action."

The earlier case against Mrs Keegan centred on an incident on March 6, 2021, when a patron was served 22 schooners of beer and a shot over six-and-a-half hours - the equivalent of more than 35 standard drinks - before being carried unconscious from the venue by other patrons.

Investigators found bar staff continued serving the man despite clear signs of intoxication, including that he had fallen several times, and failed to call for medical help.

ILGA banned Mrs Keegan from holding the positions of liquor licensee and approved manager, and from being a close associate of a licensee, for two years.

The Gladstone Hotel's liquor licence has since been transferred to a new licensee. ILGA has also previously imposed CCTV and Plan of Management conditions on the venue following separate complaints and investigations, including over noise and antisocial behaviour.