Popular Bromley store’s license suspended despite retailer breaking down over knife threats

A licensing meeting has heard how a shop owner was left “fearful” and “nervous” after allegedly being threatened at knifepoint for refusing a sale.

Johny Food Stores in Penge had its alcohol licence suspended for a month for selling booze to under-18s in an undercover sting by Bromley Council’s trading standards team. But owner Amalraj Thomasraj broke down in tears at a licensing sub-committee as his solicitor claimed that in the past he had been threatened with a knife for refusing to sell to a customer and how much it had affected him.

A volunteer 15-year-old assisting council officers was able to buy a can of Fosters beer with no challenge for ID. The council launched the investigation after anecdotal evidence that Johny Food Stores was the place for underage teens to go to “get served alcohol and cigarettes”. But members of the community and councillors wrote letters in support of the shop.

His solicitor Kathryn Hughes said: “Mr Thomasraj is saying that in the past when he’s been refusing sales, he’s been pulled outside and threatened at knife point. That’s why he’s getting quite emotional now. He said it’s been quite a difficult experience and adds to all he’s been through.”

Ms Hughes added: “I wish to make clear that none of what I say is intended in any way to dispute the underage sale or justify it in any way. Mr Thomasraj is acutely aware of how serious this is and is ashamed of what happened and is very sorry. It was very much a slip up in standards.”

The solicitor explained that the knife incident, along with a suspected break-in to steal the shop’s cash machine, had left the store owner “extremely fearful” and “very nervous”.

Local residents rallied around Mr Thomasraj, with Paul Kelly, 58, telling the licensing meeting that he was an important member of the community who helped people at their time of need. Mr Kelly said: “I’ve been a customer of Mr Thomasraj since he took over the shop and I know how diligent he is and important he is to our community.

“I know he’s absolutely devastated about this situation. On many occasions I’ve witnessed him turning people away for being under 18.

“He takes great pride in the way he runs that shop. He knows his customers by name. There are people that can go into that shop with no money and he’ll put electricity on their [electric] meters for them. This is how important he is to our community.”

The licensing committee chose to suspend the licence for one month. While acknowledging his “character references”, chairman Cllr Robert Evans said: “One of the pillars of our licences is to safeguard young people and there is no doubt there was a sale of alcohol to a youngster, and we would obviously say that is a very serious offence.

“We are aware and very supportive that Johny contributes a great deal to the local community. However, we do feel that some sort of recognition must be given to the seriousness of the offence. So therefore we intend to suspend the licence for one month.”

Cllr Evans added that a condition of the new licence after the suspension would be that a personal licence holder must be present at all times when alcohol is sold.