Aberdare Licensee Prosecuted For Underage Sale
An Aberdare licensee has been fined after one of his staff members sold lager to a 13-year-old volunteer.
Gosmitsing Kapoor, 26, is the Premise License Holder and Designated Premises Supervisor at Best One in Canon Street, Aberdare and the person responsible for the business.
As part of their ongoing proactive work to ensure staff and managers of licensed premises are clear on the law and are doing all they can to prevent underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council's Trading Standards Team carry out test purchases.
On February 22 this year, a member of staff in the shop sold four cans of Budweiser lager to a 13-year-old volunteer – an offence under the 2003 Licensing Act.
It was also discovered by officers that Mr Kapoor was failing to adhere to other conditions of his license, including failure to review the log of sales that have been refused, carrying out refresher training for staff and failure to operate electronic till prompts to prevent underage sales.
He admitted/denied the four offences when he appeared at Merthyr Magistrates' Courts on October 3 and was fined £400 and ordered to pay £531.86 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
Paul Mee, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council's Director of Public Health, Protection & Community Services, said: "Underage drinking and associated anti-social behaviour remains a concern of the Council and its communities.
"We are committed to working in partnership with business to ensure those in a position to be selling age-controlled items such as alcohol are clear on the law and the responsibility placed on them and their staff.
"In this case, as the Premise License Holder and the Designated Premises Superviser, Mr Kapoor should have ensured the conditions of his license were met, which would have helped prevent an underage alcohol sale."
