Pilbara pub Dampier Mermaid Hotel middle-term accommodation cops $20,000 worth of damage by former occupant

A country town has been rattled and an iconic pub left to clean up a hideous mess left by a guest who trashed its middle-term accommodation.

Syringes, cigarette butts and used takeaway packaging was among the filth which littered the room at the Mermaid Hotel in Dampier, with the owner of the venue Keith Bond saying the damage left him nearly $20,000 out of pocket.

He said that in 45 years of hospitality, he had “never seen anything like it”.

“We went upstairs and found a total disaster,” Mr Bond said.

“The room’s a complete write-off, it will be a couple of months down the track before we can sort it all out.”

Images in a now-deleted Facebook post — show the horrifying extent of drug use, trash and damage left by the former occupant.

Alongside sharing the images, The Dampier Mermaid also revealed the person left the room with an outstanding payment of “$3842”.

“The toilet’s got to go, the bathroom has to be pulled out. The cupboards, the beds, the carpet, it will all have to be stripped back,” Mr Bond told Pilbara News.

Keith, who runs the business alongside sons Nick and Craig, said people in the wider Karratha community should ensure they stay vigilant against anti-social behaviour.

“I hope the person doesn’t do this to someone else, I hope they go and get some help,” he said.

“Normally it’s the occasional young bloke running a muck after football, but this was just sheer filth and dirt.”

“They never created a disturbance, they always had the do-not-disturb sign up and we tried to be respectful.”

“They must have been building the mess over two to three months”

“Oh well, what can you do about it... turn the page as I like to say,” he said.

Dampier local TJ Ilanperuma — who manages a liquor store roughly 50m away from The Mermaid— said the incident was devastating considering the hotel tried its best to manage current staff shortages.

“I can only imagine how hard it is for them,” TJ said.

“The photos are horrible,” he said.

“Dampier is usually much safer than Karratha, it’s a country town, and everyone knows each other well.

“We all try to protect the place and enjoy the sceneries here,” he said.

The City of Karratha has been approached for comment.

Karratha police said they were unaware of the incident.

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