MELBOURNE: A Melbourne resident was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Tuesday for killing a man for failing to pay charges on a room he found on Airbnb, Australia’s national broadcaster said.
Jason Rohan Colton had earlier been convicted for the manslaughter of Ramis Jonuzi, over Aus$210 (US$150) in room charges.
Jonuzi, a 36-year-old bricklayer, was about to leave the home after packing his bag when he was assaulted.
In handing down the sentence, Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth called the attack on Jonuzi “cowardly, vicious and unprovoked”, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
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Jonuzi had booked a short-stay room in the Melbourne home that Colton rented in October 2017.
The court heard Colton choked, punched and kicked Jonuzi, who later died of his injuries.
“You lunged at him, grabbed him by the collar, spun him around, and threw him against the wall,” said the judge according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Two other men who took part in the attack had earlier received jail terms of nine and seven-and-a-half years respectively.
Evidence introduced in court included a police interview of Colton in which he said Jonuzi “deserved everything he got”.
Justice Hollingworth ordered that Colton serve at least eight years without parole. The convict would be eligible for parole after that.
