A liquor-industry executive was allowed to keep his general manager's certificate after the Liquor Licensing Authority, at a hearing in Queenstown yesterday, sympathised with his "divided loyalties" regarding his younger brother.
Liquor licensing Sergeant Keith Newell, of Queenstown, applied for the suspension of the general manager's certificate of Good Group Ltd retail operations manager Brendon James Cameron, of Arrowtown.
Sgt Newell said police found four cannabis plants, a small amount of cannabis and cannabis utensils owned by Mr Cameron's younger brother at the former's home.
Sgt Newell said Mr Cameron was charged with permitting his premises to be used against the Misuse of Drugs Act, but was granted diversion.
Mr Cameron told the hearing his younger brother used cannabis to control an illness.
Mr Cameron said he had never had a conviction and had felt "an element of humiliation" from the situation.
Suspension of his certificate would tarnish his reputation and make him unable to cover managers, which he was required to do "two or three times a week or once a month".
He asked for name suppression, but authority member Judith Moorhead said it was a public hearing and the circumstances did not warrant name suppression.
Good Group chief executive Russell Gray said Mr Cameron was reliable, trustworthy, dedicated and loyal and had held a certificate for 11 years.
He had the full support of the company.
Ms Moorhead said circumstances had improved in relation to Mr Cameron's younger brother as a result of the police raid.
Mr Cameron's description of events "is one of divided loyalties".
The panel acknowledged the "unusual circumstances" and declined the police application for certificate suspension.
A former doorman who stepped in to break up a fight outside a Queenstown bar had his certificate suspended for one week.
Gary Livesey, co-general manager and marketing manager of the World Bar, had become involved in a fight among up to 10 men outside Tardis bar, in Cow Lane, early on June 1, Sgt Newell said.
Mr Livesey said he had stepped away from the fight, but had been hit from behind, sustaining a broken nose and tooth.
He said he did not continue to walk away because he saw his girlfriend being "grappled" by his alleged assailant.
Four men were arrested.
Mr Livesey was charged with disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence, but was granted diversion.
Sgt Newell said Mr Livesey had always been "upfront, polite, amicable", to his credit.
Ms Moorhead said the authority could not condone Mr Livesey's actions but his conduct was at "the lesser end of the scale".
A Wanaka chef's general manager's certificate was renewed for a reduced period of 18 months despite police opposition.
Brent Martlew Philpott, of Wanaka, was convicted in the Queenstown District Court in October 2007 of assaulting a female and was sentenced to community service, Sgt Newell said.
There had been no further incidents.
Mr Philpott, an apprentice builder and chef at Muzza's Bar and Cafe, in Wanaka, worked as duty manager when the owners were unavailable.
He said he had learned from the domestic incident and had learned to vent his frustration elsewhere.
An aspiring Irish restaurant manager was refused a general manager's certificate because of a July drink-driving conviction, which had cut short his working-holiday visa.
Nigel Baxter Alexander, a waiter at Captain's Restaurant, said he regretted the incident.
Ms Moorhead noted the difficulties in granting Mr Alexander a certificate, given his immigration status and lack of experience.
She said it was too soon to grant him a certificate and invited him to reapply after June 26, 2011, if he was still in New Zealand.
A former Beaver Liquor employee may lose his general manager's certificate after his second drink-driving conviction within five years.
Bradley David Cavanagh was not suitable to hold a certificate because of the conviction, Sgt Newell said.
Mr Cavanagh said "bad judgement" on both occasions led him to believe he had slept long enough to recover from intoxication.
Panel member Dr Jacqueline Horn said Mr Cavanagh's judgement went awry when he was intoxicated and suggested it could happen again.
Ms Moorhead said the panel was inclined to cancel the certificate, but reserved its decision.
