Partygoers who had overdosed on GHB were carried from a Melbourne nightclub and left behind a neighbouring strip club for paramedics to collect, a defamation trial has heard.
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Inflation Nightclub's director Martha Tsamis is suing the State of Victoria, claiming her reputation was tarnished after a top police officer linked her venue to drug dealing, overdoses and underage drinking in media interviews during 2014.
But Paul Hayes QC, acting for the state, said the imputations made by former Victoria Police superintendent Brett Guerin to the Herald Sun and 3AW were substantially true.
In his closing address to the Supreme Court jury on Monday, Mr Hayes said up to four patrons would have GHB overdoses - or "blowouts" - at each of Inflation's Saturday night "Cloud Nine" events.
Referring to witnesses who had given evidence over the past few weeks, Mr Hayes said some patrons who'd overdosed on the dangerous party drug GHB had been removed via the club's Geddes Lane smokers' area.
He added those patrons were then left on a ledge behind the neighbouring Showgirls Bar 20 - a strip club - for ambulances to collect.
Mr Hayes said one patron who'd overdosed was carried across the street from the venue and left at Flinders Lane, while another reveller had consumed GHB in the club toilets, left the venue, then woke up in hospital.
He discussed another witness who said she'd seen an "unconscious man" being carried through an alleyway behind the club.
"This is so there would be no association of any overdoses with Cloud Nine," Mr Hayes argued.
"Patrons who'd overdosed - get them off the premises."
He added that drug-affected youths with "large pupils" seen sucking lollipops and blowing bubbles were no rare sight at Cloud Nine, and that it was "easy" to score GHB or ecstasy at the venue between late 2012 and early 2014.
"She (Ms Tsamis) operated the Inflation nightclub in a manner that resulted in drug dealing in and around the venue," he said.
"This all comes back to Ms Tsamis. She controls who gets in through the door.
"Ms Tsamis might say she controlled it all, but we say she didn't do it very well."
Ms Tsamis denies the state's claims and says she was an industry mentor with a strong anti-drug stance, was trying to "clean up" the nightclub industry and had a tight security system at the door.
The jury will enter into deliberations once both sides complete their closing addresses.
Australian Associated Press
