Fools fuelled by alcohol

By Kelly Yates
POLICE say they are putting their safety in danger as a result of alcohol-fuelled violence at licensed venues in the City of Casey.
Senior Sergeant Gerry Hengel at the Narre Warren police station told the News the type of highly publicised violence in Melbourne’s CBD was also evident in Casey.
Acting Sergeant Stuart Pontil said a 20-year-old man was charged with being drunk, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest following a brawl at the Berwick Inn on Sunday 26 July.
Around nine police officers attended the incident at 8.30pm, with one officer being tackled to the ground by a patron.
The constant violence in the City of Casey has sparked a Hampton Park mother to start a campaign to remove a Narre Warren club’s liquor licence.
Lynda Gould told the News Club 1422, which is just metres away from the Narre Warren police station, needed to be shut down after her son was king-hit from behind in the car park of the venue in 2007.
“Since my son’s attack I have heard of two more instances where a young person has been hospitalised as a result of violence from activities and alcohol in the club,” she said.
“To my knowledge, no one has been killed yet but it’s only a matter of time.”
Club 1422 owner Lorraine Samson has dubbed her venue the safest in the municipality.
“We have minimal trouble here. You can’t control the idiots and what they do,” she said.
“People like to play the blame game and alcohol seems to the easiest thing to blame.”
Ms Gould has written letters to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Premier John Brumby, Victoria’s police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland, the minister for policing and local police, seeking to get Club 1422’s liquor licence removed.