Bar licence suspended after double stabbing

Staff at Aviator denied hampering a police investigation

A bar has had its licence suspended after two people were injured in a stabbing.

Durham Police raised concerns about Aviator Sports and Live Lounge in Newton Aycliffe following the stabbings last Wednesday.

The force said staff, including licence holder Jacob Kennedy, did not ring 999 and had interfered with the crime scene.

Aviator said the attack did not occur on its property and denied obstructing the investigation.

A hearing at Durham County Hall on Monday was told the venue hosted a private wake and was closed to the general public.

CCTV obtained by police showed the offender was ejected from the bar after throwing a bottle, before an altercation started next to the beer garden.

Bar staff said they were unaware a weapon had been used, despite one of the victims re-entering the venue with a wound, and that one person had refused first aid assistance.

Video footage also showed an individual pouring cups of water on the crime scene, police said.

Sgt Caroline Dickenson, of Durham Police, said: "The CCTV evidence shows that the account given to officers by Jacob Kennedy was untrue and an attempt to mislead police officers, remove any blame from the venue and protect the offender."

The venue was temporarily closed by police on Friday evening and reopened on Sunday.

A police statement added: "The only action taken by the bar is to interfere with the crime scene and frustrate the investigation."

'No evidence'

The venue said it had taken steps ahead of the event and fully co-operated with police in handing over CCTV footage.

It described any suggestion the crime scene had been interfered with as "unfounded".

A statement read out on the company's behalf: "The stabbing did not take place on or near the Aviator bar.

"At no point did the owner have any indication that anybody had a weapon and had there been evidence of that it would have been acted upon."

Durham County Council's licensing committee ruled to immediately suspend the venue's licence due to the severity of the incident.

Councillor Tim Robson, licensing committee chairman, said there had been "a number of fundamental breaches of the licensing objectives.

A full hearing will be held before 15 August, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Meanwhile, a teenager has been charged with two counts of assault causing grievous bodily harm and remanded in custody ahead of an appearance at Durham Crown Court on 15 August.