A former bar manager who got sick of looking after a fridge belonging to Coca-Cola has retained his general manager's certificate after appearing before the Liquor Licensing Authority in the Queenstown District Court.
The police and the LLA had opposed the renewal of Peter John Uechtritz's certificate without at least a suspension first being imposed.
He had previously been charged with theft last February but was given police diversion.
Mr Uechtritz, who was bar manager of the Boiler Room at the Steamer Wharf, told Judge E. W. Unwin and Peter McHaffie he had looked after a beer fridge which had been left empty in the bar's beer garden for about three weeks near the end of last year.
He then stored the fridge, valued at $3500, in his garage and went overseas for a holiday.
He read about the "stolen" fridge in a newspaper on his return.
"I always intended to give it back. I didn't know what to do. I thought I had got myself in a lot of trouble because I hadn't done it in the most mature way."
Mr Uechtritz said he panicked, loaded the fridge on to a trailer and left it on the side of the Glenorchy-Queenstown Rd with a note: "Sick of working in chilly conditions, will pay fuel money to Glenorchy", written on the glass doors.
"It was a bit of tomfoolery. I'm pretty well-liked in town. I've always offered people help in any way and I like to see myself as a community supporter."
Mr Uechtritz said one of the reasons he did not get character references ahead of Monday's appearance was because he felt "a little bit embarrassed about the situation".
Judge Unwin said Mr Uechtritz had completed the diversion process for his offending, which did not leave him with a criminal conviction.
"One thing that has impressed us is that [he] . . . is quite aware of the reason for bringing the application [for suspension or cancellation of his general manager's certificate] before us . . .
"In our view the conduct, although slight, and the acknowledgement of guilt was sufficient to establish a potential lack of suitability.
"In this case we intend to exercise [our] discretion in favour of [the applicant].
"We believe that he suffered sufficiently by his appearance before us and we do not believe that making an order would assist us in achieving that objective of the [Sale of Liquor] Act."
Judge Unwin and Mr McHaffie declined the cancellation or suspension application.
