04/05/2026
Story time from the Tavern — and an important heads up to our community
On Saturday night, we had a serious incident at our Bottle Store, this incident involved a man named Joesph Laws.
Joseph entered and attempted to steal a 6-pack. Our staff member intervened and asked him to leave, which he did — briefly. He returned a second time shortly after and was again told to leave.
Concerned by his behaviour, staff called 111 to report the situation, as he remained in the car park acting in an intimidating manner. They were advised help would be sent and to call again if things escalated.
Unfortunately, about 30 minutes later, he entered the premises a third time — this time with clear intent to harm. He assaulted an innocent customer and then our assistant manager. She managed to get to safety and call police again, while another staff member stepped in and got him out of the building.
This behaviour was completely unacceptable and deeply upsetting for everyone involved. Our team acted incredibly bravely under pressure, and we’re proud of how they handled a very frightening situation.
We’ve since learned Joseph, who injured himself on the bottle he threw was taken to the hospital and released the following day.
He has now been trespassed, and we want to make it very clear: we will not tolerate any threats or violence toward our staff or customers. Our Tavern is a place for people to feel safe, and we will always stand by our team and our community.
To the customer who was attacked — we are so sorry this happened to you. We truly hope you’re okay. If you see this, please contact Renee on 5269020, as we weren’t able to get your details on the night.
Thank you to everyone who checked in and supported our staff. We appreciate you all 💛
Part 1
