A Mayfair restaurant has had its licence suspended following an incident in which a man’s neck was slashed in an alleged attempted murder.
The Mistress of Mayfair is facing an expedited licensing review after the Metropolitan Police reported ‘volatile’ scenes with several revellers behaving aggressively following the incident.
Officers attended the mediterranean-themed restaurant on St. James’s Street to reports a man was suffering from catastrophic bleeding after being attacked by another male on the premises in the early hours of last Monday, August 10.
While the fight occurred in full view of a member of security staff, they were apparently unaware the attacker had used a knife.
CCTV footage confirmed the suspect had entered the restaurant with friends at 12.09am before he became involved in an altercation downstairs, culminating in him using a bladed article to slash the victim’s neck.
The victim was given first aid treatment while the alleged attacker was shown on CCTV being led to the rear of the venue but was neither searched or detained.
A woman associated with the victim appeared to usher the suspect to the exit, where the man was involved in another brawl before he was allowed to leave the restaurant.
He was later identified by police before being arrested and charged with attempted murder.
In its application for an urgent licence review, Met Police said several key witnesses had left the venue before police arrived on the scene and were unable to be traced.
Officers were forced to use pepper spray to control crowds at the venue, with one customer detained after she pushed a police inspector backwards, the report detailed.
A separate reveller was detained for assaulting officers as they were attempting to administer first aid to the victim and investigate the initial attack.
Subsequent police inquiries found that the suspect and his friends had been allowed to enter the venue without having their IDs scanned, in contravention with the restaurant’s licence conditions.
It transpired that the group were able to get in despite the restaurant having closed its doors early for the evening, due to an earlier altercation resulting in a customer being ejected.
However the venue’s handover book contained no record of the incident earlier in the night, describing the evening as ‘normal’.
Despite insistence from security staff that groups of five were routinely searched before being allowed to enter the premises, the suspect and his friends were not subjected to such checks that evening.
Similar licensing breaches were identified after the venue was closed in January following another assault investigation.
In a submission to the local authority, Met Police superintendent Natasha Evans said the venue’s failings were of ‘significant concern’.
She said: ‘This offence is clearly associated with the premises and represents and exceptionally serious incident of violent crime within a licensed venue. The nature of the attack created a substantial risk of fatal injury and demonstrates a significant threat to public safety.’
Ms Evans added: ‘I consider the failures of the premises to be of significant concern. The apparent breaches of licensing conditions, the lack of effective control over patrons, and the association of the premises with an attempted murder demonstrate the serious failure to promote the licensing objectives, namely the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety.
‘In light of the extreme seriousness of the incident, the ongoing risks posed to the public, and the apparent failings in the operation and management of the premises, I have no confidence that the premises can continue to operate without undermining the licensing objectives.’
Mistress of Mayfair now faces a licence review hearing within a month after a licensing sub-committee elected to suspend the venue’s licence with immediate effect.
The basement venue claims to offer ‘elegant Parisian chic with the glamour and energy of London’, with a menu featuring caviar and wagyu beef.
Famous names to have visited the SW1 venue include DJ Damian Lazarus and musical artist Kiko Franco.
A spokesperson for Westminster Council said: ‘Westminster City Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee has suspended the premises licence for Mistress of Mayfair with immediate effect following an expedited review application by the Metropolitan Police.
‘Having considered all the evidence presented, including details of a serious incident at the venue and breaches of licence conditions, the Sub-Committee determined that suspension was a necessary and proportionate step to protect the public.
‘The premises licence holder was present and did not contest the suspension.
‘A final decision will be taken at a review hearing within 28 days.’
WT has contacted the Mistress of Mayfair for comment.
Get in touch: r.prosser@westminstertimes.co.uk