Drink-driving businessman's alcohol licence revoked after driving wrong way down one-way road
A drink-driving businessman who failed to inform Shropshire Council of his latest road ban has been stripped of his alcohol licence.
Tawanda Shawn Melusi, who owns a chicken wing business in Oswestry and previously sold tickets to a music festival which never went ahead, has had his personal licence to sell alcohol removed by the authority.
The decision means Mr Melusi can no longer hold a personal licence, but does not affect businesses associated with him which have their own premises licence.
The council said 27-year-old Mr Melusi was no longer a suitable person to hold a personal licence as a result of his second conviction for drink driving last summer, which came after he drove the wrong way down a one-way road while over the limit.
Mr Melusi, who owns the company behind House of Wingz in Oswestry, admitted the offence at Telford Magistrates’ Court in August and was banned from driving for three years, but did not notify the council despite being legally required to do so.
As a result, the council’s licensing sub-committee met in November to review Mr Melusi’s personal licence and concluded it should be revoked.
It is only the second time in the last three years the council has revoked a personal licence, which permits an individual to sell alcohol.
The decision report, which has now been released following a Freedom of Information request, says Mr Melusi wrote to the council ahead of the hearing to apologise for failing to inform officers of his latest conviction, but did not make any further representations ahead of the hearing.
The report, addressed to Mr Melusi, says: “The licensing authority takes matters such as this very seriously.
“You have a history of drink driving, with your second conviction resulting in a three-year driving ban.
“You failed to notify the licensing authority of your second conviction.
“You were made aware, when you received your personal licence, that it is your responsibility to notify the licensing authority if you are convicted of a relevant offence.
“Drink driving is a very serious offence for someone holding a personal licence and acting as the designated premises supervisor in a licensed premises.”
Mr Melusi made headlines in 2018 when he set up a music festival called FieldBounce promising well-known headline acts but then cancelled the event after selling around 5,000 tickets.
The report says the committee, made up of councillors Dave Tremellen, Garry Burchett and Peter Broomhall, was concerned about Mr Melusi’s “serious breaches” of the Licensing Act 2003 and the council’s own licensing policy.
All licence holders are required to promote the ‘licensing objectives’ – including maintaining public safety and preventing crime and disorder – and the report says the committee was not satisfied that Mr Melusi “could be relied upon” to do this effectively.
The report adds: “The sub-committee were specifically mindful of the fundamental purpose of the council’s policy, i.e. to establish responsibly managed and safe licensed premises.”
Mr Melusi said “in a world where you can be anything, be kind,” and declined to comment further.
