[imagesource:IPSS]

A 50-year-old man was arrested in KwaZulu-Natal after he repeatedly rammed his car into a glass door restaurant entrance after he was told to leave.

The man was arrested and taken for blood alcohol testing after causing the raucous scene at Nikos Coalgrill Greek restaurant at the Salmon Bay tidal pool in Ballito on Sunday afternoon.

Restaurant owner Tania Tsiantos reported that the man had arrived with a girlfriend around 13:00, visibly intoxicated and stumbling down the stairs, per Caxton Network News.

“He had apparently been drinking since the morning and had already been kicked out of two other restaurants,” she said.

Tsiantos said the couple started to get rowdy and since it was a busy Sunday afternoon, other customers complained about the noise. Apparently, the man became increasingly disruptive, kicking a chair and being rude to the waitstaff who told him he could not vape inside.

“We asked them to lower their voices and the woman got up and started screaming and kicking the furniture,” she said.

As things escalated, the restaurant management decided it was time for them to leave, so they called security, which made the man get out for a moment only to return, “shouting and banging on the walls like a madman”. IOL reports that they said they would not be paying for their meal.

He eventually left again, but not before allegedly throwing a punch at Tsiantos’ husband, Dalton Venter, on his way out. This led to a brief altercation outside the restaurant, after which the man went to his car around 14:25.

An emotional Tsiantos said there was quite a bit of blood outside the restaurant from the altercation and she asked staff to clean the area.

“I was just walking up to check if there was any blood to clean up when I saw him coming down in his car. He drove into the door, reversed, and then hit it again, breaking through on the second attempt,” said Tsiantos.

Tsiantos said she feared for her life and ran for cover. She said other patrons in the restaurant and staff ducked for cover. You can see Tsiantos running down the stairs as the car crashes into the doorway behind her.

Although other patrons were leaving without paying and cancelling orders as the restaurant suddenly became a really unsafe place to be in for a Sunday afternoon, no one was injured, and the man was arrested by Umhlali SAPS and taken for blood alcohol testing at a hospital.

Image: IPSS

Tsiantos added that the man was a well-known local in the area. She said her husband was at the doctor’s for an appointment and was considering opening a case against the man.

Tsiantos estimated that the incident, including damage to the door, food wastage, and lost business, cost the restaurant around R200 000.

“What a mess this all is. We’ll also need to arrange for guards to watch the restaurant until the door is fixed.”

Police spokesperson, Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo added that he faces a charge of reckless and negligent driving and was supposed to appear in court Monday morning.

[source:iol&caxtonnetworknews]