Keith Stallard is a friendly, sociable and generally sober guy who likes to organise social groups in Balmain (inner city Sydney, Australia). Keith works on improving third world water sanitation, and is the last guy you'd expect to end up in a pub assault. Yet that is what happened, around 8pm on Friday 24th January 2014 at the trendy Exchange Hotel in Beattie street Balmain.
Keith alleges he was assaulted by a bouncer, after being told to move out of a 'closed area' as he talked on his mobile phone.
"I was taking a telephone call from my boss in France and discussing how to improve water supplies and sanitation in Liberia and Indonesia when the hotel manager asked me to leave the part of the pub I was in because it was closed. I was there because it was the only part of the building where I could hear my caller. I said I would leave within 5 minutes when I had finished the call. A few minutes later, I had a similar discussion with the bouncer whilst still on the call. I promised to stand within 1m of the open door to the ‘closed’ section where they could see me."
But it all went horrifyingly bad.
"Suddenly, I was thrust against a wall or a door - I cannot remember - smashing the wine glass in my right hand, cutting my hand, pouring wine all over myself, hand and injuring my knee."
Keith called the Police, but as there were no witnesses and the CCTV didn't cover the incident, charges were not laid.
The attitude of the manager rankled with Keith. "Rather than apologize, the hotel manager defended this inappropriate use of violence by saying that he had known the bouncer for several years and he had never done anything like that before."
There are 21 hotels within 3km. Clearly the Exchange Hotel is not a safe destination while managers and bouncers such as these remain unchecked.
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