Melbourne man Colton. (figure / Australian New Zealand Network)
On the 19th, the Supreme Court of Victoria sentenced 42-year-old Melbourne man Colton (Jason Colton) to 11 years in prison for "viciously" beating a rent-owed Airbnb tenant to death in 2017 and assaulting the body of the deceased. Two other men involved in the case, Levi (Craig Levy) and Smart (Ryan Smart), were sentenced to nine and seven years in prison, respectively.
In October 2017, Jonas (Ramis Jonuzi), 33, rented a house in Melbourne through "Airbnb" (Airbnb), a short-term rental platform, and was beaten and kicked by Colton and his gang for defaulting on the $210 Australian dollar rent, AANNZ reported on the 19th. On March 19, 2019, Justice Hollingworth (Elizabeth Hollingworth) of the Supreme Court of Victoria sentenced Colton to 11 years in prison, while his accomplices, Levy and Smart, had begun serving their sentences in prison. They were sentenced to nine and seven years respectively.
The report said Colton, 42, also had a son who, along with two others, began beating at 8 pm and lasted more than an hour until the police arrived. Judge Hollingworth said Colton lied when the police arrived. When the police asked what had happened, he told the police a bunch of lies, and Judge Hollingworth said he accused Jonaz of being the perpetrator and called him a piece of garbage even if he knew he was dead. Throughout the case, Jonas did not fight back. Although the incident was not premeditated, it was an example of manslaughter. It was a cowardly, vicious and unprovoked attack. Judge Hollingworth said Colton was the instigator of the attack, and of the three co-workers defendant, he was the one who hurt Jonaz`s body the most. "
The report said Jonas was preparing to leave the house on the day of the crime, the bank account left only 10 Australian dollars, unable to pay 210 Australian dollars in rent. He was beaten by Colton, Levy and Smart before he could get on when he packed his bags to drive away. Colton married a Norwegian woman in 2008 and was sentenced to five months in prison by a Norwegian court for beating her roommate. This time, he faces 11 years in prison and will not be released on bail until 2027.
