Ealing bar owner banned after allegations of assault on two customers

By Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter 16th Oct 2024

Stack Bar is on The Mall near Ealing Broadway Station (credit: Cesar Medina).
Stack Bar is on The Mall near Ealing Broadway Station (credit: Cesar Medina).

A bar owner in Ealing has been banned from entering his own venue following two allegations of GBH against customers.

Mr Petrit Pergjergji is alleged to have assaulted two individuals, leaving them unconscious outside Stack Bar, on The Mall, Ealing Broadway.

On Thursday, September 19, 2024, two males were asked to leave the bar by Mr Pergjergji, who at the time also acted as the designated premises supervisor (DPS). However, one of the men allegedly became aggressive and refused to leave.

The situation then escalated and Mr Pergjergji allegedly punched both males, rendering them unconscious with 'one punch'. It is further alleged that Pergjergji then went back inside the bar, closed the shutters, and left via a fire exit, leaving the victims outside without calling the emergency services.

Mr Armin Solimani, legal representation for the police, said: "He didn't seem to care if they lived or died… a member of the public, six minutes after called the police and the ambulance, they were rushed to hospital, the police and ambulance service were worried these people would have very serious brain injuries."

Ryan Dowding, legal counsel for the premises, said at an Ealing Council licensing sub committee meeting at which a decision over the licence was deferred: "Now that he [Mr Pergjergji] knows the extent of the injuries, not calling 999 is something he regrets.

"He was unaware of the specifics of the injuries… Mr Pergjergji's primary concern was to get those [inside] out of the premises, not through the front door where the two men are. It is hard to understate how aggressive the men were being."

The two men were found by a member of the public who then called the emergency services. After viewing the CCTV footage of the incident privately, Councillor Rima Baaklini said: "I'm really trying to understand why a 999 call wasn't made."

Mr Pergjergji is banned from entering the premises until the outcome of a final hearing (credit: Cesar Medina).

Mr Solimani then said: "You can see, the second man… was clearly trying to deescalate, throughout the entire situation holding his friend back, trying to calm things down … and he was also punched in the head, with sufficient force to be knocked down cold."

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: "On Thursday, September 19, police were called to an assault outside of a bar on The Mall, Ealing. Officers attended and found two men with injuries. Both were taken to hospital – their injuries are not life threatening or life changing. A man, aged in his 40s, was interviewed under caution and released under investigation."

The committee, which met at the end of September, could have gone as far as suspending the licence of the bar until a final hearing determines whether to revoke the premises licence, however this was viewed as unjustified. Instead, Mr Pergjergji is banned from entering the premises until the outcome of a final hearing in a few weeks, when all investigations into allegations are complete. In the meantime, a new designated premises supervisor must be installed.

Stack Bar must also adhere to two amendments to their current licensing conditions: they must notify the police whenever there is an incident outside of the premises; and they must only employ door supervisors that are external and independent from the business.

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