Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Perth Restaurateur Fined $40,000 After Children Served Citronella Instead of Juice

The magistrate ruled the former owner was vicariously liable due to failures in food-safety compliance.

Overview

  • Perth Magistrates Court on March 3 convicted former owner Michele Angiuli of selling unsafe food and failing to exercise due diligence.
  • In June 2024 at Miky’s Italian Fusion in Crawley, sisters aged 12 and 11 were poured pink citronella torch and lamp oil mistaken for cranberry juice.
  • The children and their mother reported burning sensations, tingling and headaches, sought Poisons Information Centre advice, and were observed in hospital before discharge.
  • Magistrate Donna Webb found the venue lacked a food safety officer, the bar was disorganised, chemicals were left accessible on multiple occasions, and Angiuli was vicariously liable for the bartender’s error.
  • Angiuli and his company were fined $20,000 each and ordered to pay almost $20,000 in costs, the restaurant has closed, and the judge cited comparable cases involving marijuana-laced brownies and a metal filing in a fast-food burger.