A big-spending gambler who claimed he wasn’t liable for £600,000 of debt he ran up at an exclusive Mayfair club in just one night because he was “blackout drunk” has lost his case.
The case was brought by ultra-exclusive casino Aspinalls after Lester Hui blew £589,724 playing double chance baccarat and then refused to pay up.
The nightclub owner told the court that he wasn’t liable for the debt because the casino’s staff had plied him with drinks, including Chinese liquor Mao Tai – often dubbed “firewater”.
But in a ruling on Friday, High Court judge Mr Justice Cotter ruled that Mr Hui was in fact liable for the debt and ordered steps to be taken for it to be repaid.
