Police and council officers were threatened, abused and left in fear while carrying out a routine licensing check at a Brighton venue.
The Copper Rooms “premises licence holder” Rachit Mehrotra was “intoxicated”, an official report said, and the venue’s unnamed DJ was drunk, swore at the team and forcibly threatened to throw them out.
Police back up arrived and the venue was shut for the night. It stayed shut the next night too. Days later, police found evidence of “a bulk amount” of cocaine in the toilets of the Preston Street bar.
Traces of the class A drug were also found in the DJ booth, on the main bar, the front bar and on a table.
The DJ was interviewed by the police. He said sorry and was let off with “a community resolution” – but the Copper Rooms, also known as the Cocktail Rooms, may have its drinks licence suspended.
The venue may also have to appoint a new “designated premises supervisor” because council licensing officials said that they had “no confidence” in 48-year-old Mr Mehrotra to do the job.
Sussex Police applied to Brighton and Hove City Council for a formal review of the licence and called for it to be suspended, effectively showing the business a “yellow card”.
The trouble came to a head in the early hours of Saturday 6 May at the premises at 76-78 Preston Street and 12a Regency Square, Brighton.
The report to a council licensing panel said that PC Andre Bernascone and his colleagues found that the premises licence holder Rachit Mehrotra was “intoxicated”.
The report also said that “the DJ was drunk” and so was a woman with a large glass of wine who was said to be the DJ’s wife.
Mr Mehrotra said that a young woman working behind the bar had served “the drunk female”.
The report to the licensing panel said: “During the visit several of the customers were making constant negative comments towards the officers about the licence check.
“One customer sitting by the door swore at the officers and PC Bernascone spoke to him about his language and behaviour. He also showed his police ID to the male which was noticed by some of the other customers.
“After this the atmosphere deteriorated, especially after the DJ approached the officers in a forceful manner while shouting, ‘No one told me the fucking police were here.’ (He) forcibly instructed us to leave while threatening to throw us out himself.
“PC Bernascone tried calmly to communicate with the male DJ while he was being aggressive. The DJ also stated: ‘Of course there are drunk people. It’s a fucking bar.’
“While shouting, the DJ got right into the face of PC Bernascone. His behaviour and the fact that others in the bar had now appeared and were also now shouting at the officers, ‘to get out, to fucking get out,’ and, ‘it’s a bar. We’re allowed to be drunk. Go home!’ made him believe that they were at serious risk of immediate harm if they did not leave.
Not very copper friendly, really.
Funny how the Old Bill are too busy (or can’t be arsed) to investigate assaults or burglaries but always seem to have officers to spare to harass people enjoying a few bevvies & listening to music !!
Oh come on, they have to lose their license for this? There are seldom any customers at the place. It so gives the impression of a business that is a front for something shady.
Just for the problem of drugs on the premises alone, the place should be shut down and the owner prosecuted. And why was the DJ not named and charged. He said sorry and was let off with “a community resolution”. Big deal! He should not have been let off, and what is a “community resolution”?