A 51-year-old Darien man entered The Goose restaurant and bar three times on Aug. 16 and 17, and that was one too many for town police, who charged him with first-degree criminal trespassing.
Police gave this account (an accusation not proven in court) of the matter:
On Sunday, Aug. 16, he tried to get a drink at the bar, but he was told he could only have club soda because he already appeared very intoxicated. He fell down and needed to be escorted to a cab for a ride home.
On Monday, Aug. 17, at about 3 p.m., police were called by restaurant mangement. The man had again visited The Goose and this time was demanding to see the bar license. The manager refused. The man later told police that in Australia, where he is from, it was the law that bar management had to produce a bar license for anyone to see, if managers were asked for it.
The man confronted the manager, yelling at him. At that point police were called. They explained to the man that there was no requirement for bar management to produce a license when asked by a member of the public. Police also told the man not to return to The Goose, or he would be charged with trespassing.
Police left. About 10 minutes later, police were called back and told that the man had returned. The man had left again by the time police arrived, but they spotted him as he was about to enter a taxi.
He told police he only wanted to know the name of the owner of The Goose. He was taken into custody and charged with first-degree criminal trespassing. As his arrest was being processed at Police Headquarters, he became belligerant and uncooperative, but he was eventually fingerprinted.
He was later released on a promise to appear Thursday, Aug. 27, in state Superior Court in Stamford.