Grand Hotel Gold Coast Video Shows Security Push Couple Down Stairs

Video of security guards at the Grand Hotel casino in Gold Coast, Australia, pushing a couple down a flight of concrete stairs has amassed more than 27,000 horrified viewers since it was uploaded Monday.

https://youtu.be/50Xqu11AMqM

The footage, taken by a bystander on Friday night, shows the man and woman arguing with three security guards outside the hotel.

At one point, the woman points her finger at a guard who slaps her hand away and then pushes her. The woman stumbles backwards down the stairs but manages to stay on her feet. She walks back up the stairs to continue remonstrating with the guard.

He appears to shove her again, but more forcefully, with one hand near her throat and the other on her waist. This time, she tumbles down the stairs and disappears from the camera’s view.

Then another security guard appears to push the man very forcefully. He crashes into the railing before also disappearing down the stairs.

The man gets to his feet and rushes to confront the guard, who appears to kick him in the stomach. The man then sees the woman collapsed on the stairs and crouches down to attend to her.

He can be heard repeating “What have you done?” as the security guards walk away.

‘Not a Threat’

“No one deserves to be treated the way they were treated,” witness Joel Weidenbach told 9News. “You don’t throw someone down the stairs like that. She was not a threat to anyone.”

Social media was quick to condemn the actions of the guards.

This should be handled better by the sober security guards. Actual talking goes a long way, but the body language of the bald bloke is antagonistic. He’s ready for a fight,” wrote one Facebook user.

“Violence is not the best solution. I wonder how many times that “security” (bully) guard has hurt people and gotten away with it. He needs to be held accountable. Lock him up and throw the key away,” wrote another commenter.

‘Disruptive Conduct’

When approached by News.com.au on Tuesday morning, a spokesperson for the Grand Hotel said they could not comment directly on the incident. But they said the guards were not employed directly by the hotel, which contracts its security to a third party.

Both the man and woman had been asked to leave for disruptive conduct, according to News.com.au.

Queensland Police said it was aware of the video but were not currently investigating because no official complaint had been made.

Philip Conneller
Philip Conneller Senior Reporter

In Philip Conneller’s eight years with Casino.org, he has covered the gaming industry from Las Vegas to Macau and everything in between. He currently focuses his coverage on gaming law, white-collar crime, global money laundering, tribal gaming, politics, and regulation.

Philip was the original features editor for poker’s Bluff Magazine and editor for Bluff Europe, which he helped launch. His writing has also been featured in ESPN, Forbes, Time Out, The Sun, and The Daily Star, as well as iGaming Business, eGaming Review, and numerous other industry news and tech websites.

His news stories for Casino.org/news have been linked by The Washington Post, The Daily Mail, People Magazine, and Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, among many others.

Philip once won $20,000 with 7-2 off-suit. He has been reprimanded for unwittingly playing Elton John’s piano on two separate occasions on both sides of the Atlantic.

He became a writer because he is a lousy pianist.

Philip lives outside London with his wife and children, where he spends his time agonizing about Arsenal FC.

Contact Philip at philip.conneller@casino.org.

Comments icon

Conversation (1 comment)

+ Add a comment
  • LG
    leo george July 21, 2022
    If you are a business owner operating in the hospitality industry, then you need to ensure adequate nightclub security in London for your customers.
    Reply

Write a comment

Your email address will not be published.