Victoria’s Nightclub owner loses out in £7.2 million action against insurers who refused to pay out after fire

Wayne Gardner-Young, instructed lawyers to go to the Court of Session after Royal and Sun Alliance denied the pay out for a fire which destroyed the legendary celebrity spot in March 2018.

Mr Gardner-Young, who bought the club from restaurateur James Mortimer in 2008, was refused compensation because he failed to disclose information.

He had insured the club in 2017 - part of the policy covered fire.

But the insurance firm told Mr Gardner Young that he failed to disclose that he had been the director of four companies that “had been dissolved after an insolvent liquidation” or had “been placed in insolvent liquidation” in a five year period before the start of the policy.

In April 2019, Court of Session judge Lady Wolffe ruled in favour of insurers.

Mr Gardner-Young’s lawyers appealed to the Inner House, the Court of Session’s appeal court. They claimed that Lady Wolffe had made errors in her judgement

However, appeal judges Lord Carloway, Lord Brodie and Lord Woolman upheld their colleague’s decision.

In a written judgement issued on Tuesday, Lord Brodie wrote: “In all the circumstances, the defender was entitled to avoid the policy.

“The reclaiming motion is accordingly refused.”

At its height, 120 firefighters were battling the inferno, which was dubbed the Victoria’s nightclub Fire.

It almost engulfed the historic neighbouring Pavillion theatre and forced the demolition of seven businesses, a hotel development and left popular pub Lauders out of business for almost a year.

The block was eventually demolished in the June.

We, however, reported last April that the fire began in the ceiling void above Holland and Barrett.

A fire report revealed under the Freedom of Information Act said that the blaze was likely to have been accidental in nature and caused by the failure of an electrical wiring or electrical equipment located in the ceiling void between the Holland and Barrett shop and Victoria’s nightclub.

The nightclub was a well known spot in Glasgow for footballers like Frank McAvennie, Ally McCoist, Mark Hateley, and Charlie Nicholas who were regulars at the club.

Legendary club boss Peter Stringfellow, boxer Naseem Hamed, Hollywood actor Robert Duvall and singer Rod Stewart all visited the nightspot.

In 2008, the venue banned footballers from attending.

Co-owner Volker Steinemann, who oversaw a £250,000 makeover of the club, said he wanted to shake off the “naff” image of Victoria’s.

He said: “We want people to recognise Victoria’s, not as the naff Vicki’s from yesteryear but as a phenomenal new dance club to rival those in Paris and Berlin.

“We feel strongly about taking the club in a new direction.

“The club has been known as a footballers’ hangout, where they entertained women and flashed their cash, but not any more.

“The impressive new music line-up, the refurbishment and the door policy are going to ensure that Victoria’s is a big hit with serious club goers. It’s going to be incredible.”

However, the club had to shut following a massive fire which broke out at about 8.20am on March 22.