Geelong’s most bizarre criminals in 2024
From a driver having oral sex with a passenger while speeding down a highway to a son committing a crime in the hope of being reunited with his jailed dad, there is no shortage of bizarre criminals in Geelong. SEE THE LIST.
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From throwing faeces at a prison guard and a driver having oral sex with his passenger while speeding along a highway to a son committing a crime in the hope of being reunited with his jailed dad, there is no shortage of bizarre criminals in Geelong.
Officers hovering above in a police helicopter spotted Tristan Smith kissing and having oral intercourse with his passenger while he reached speeds of up to 130km/h on the Western Fwy.
Earlier, Smith was driving a Holden Commodore with a suspended registration when he mounted a traffic island to avoid police.
The 24-year-old continued to drive towards and across Melbourne, even after police punctured his tyres.
A Leopold man was likened by a County Court judge to a “thug in a B-grade movie” after he carjacked a woman using a 17.5cm hunting knife.
When interviewed by police, Delroy Francois, 20, denied the offending but later admitted to the crime.
The 20-year-old told officers he bought the balaclava from Sexyland.
“I f--ked up, I wasn’t thinking, I was f--king starving,” he said to police.
“We had no money … I did what I had to do to feed my girlfriend.
“All I did was just try to lie about it so I could get out tonight and be there for my girlfriend.”
But in a letter to the court, he said he committed the terrifying offence because he wanted to be reunited with his dad in prison.
Crime boss George Marrogi squirted faeces onto a Barwon Prison guard and set his cell on fire because he felt staff had a co-ordinated regime to make his life worse in jail.
The 34-year-old was being served food by a prison guard when he sprayed liquid faeces onto his face and body with a small bottle.
The court heard he shouted “eat this sh-- you c---” before he attacked the guard.
Earlier in May, Marrogi threatened to set his cell on fire when staff refused to allow him more phone calls.
Guards were later alerted to smoke billowing from his cell.
As staff attempted to put out the fire, Marrogi became abusive and blocked their efforts.
Across the Greater Geelong region, there were 16,990 criminal offences recorded in the 12 months to June, according to Crime Statistics Agency.
The top offences included theft from a motor vehicle or retail store, criminal damage, breaching family violence orders.
SEE THE LIST OF GEELONG’S MOST BIZARRE CRIMINALS
Delroy Francois
A Geelong “thug” who carjacked a woman at knifepoint claimed he committed the crime because he wanted to be reunited with his dad in jail.
Delroy Francois, 20, was sentenced to four years in jail in the County Court in Melbourne on November 30 after earlier pleading guilty to one count of aggravated carjacking.
On February 16 this year, the female victim was driving along Rockley Rd in South Yarra.
As the woman performed a U-turn, a black Holden wagon pulled up and partially blocked the road.
Francois, wearing a black balaclava, then got out of the driver’s side of the wagon and started waving a 17.5cm hunting knife at the victim, yelling at her to get out of the car.
He was arrested a short time later in Richmond with the hunting knife hidden in the waistband of his pants.
In a letter tendered to the court written by Francois, he said he committed the offence because he wanted to go to prison to see his father as he thought his girlfriend had been cheating on him.
He also told medical staff he had the “time of his life” when he previously spent time with his dad while they were in jail together.
George Marrogi
A crime boss currently serving time in Barwon Prison for murder squirted faeces on a guard and set his cell on fire because he felt staff had co-ordinated a regime to make life inside worse.
George Marrogi pleaded guilty in the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court in May to two counts of criminal damage and two counts of assault.
The court heard a prison guard had come to serve Marrogi food when he reached out with a small bottle and sprayed liquid faeces on the guard’s face and upper body.
Marrogi shouted “eat this sh-- you c---” before he squirted the bottle.
The guard had to be decontaminated and take tests to detect any potential infectious disease.
On another occasion, Marrogi lit a fire in his cell after the prison staff refused to give him extra phone calls.
He was sentenced to six months imprisonment, to be served concurrently, and ordered to pay restitution on the criminal damage.
Tristan Smith
A man speeding along the Western Hwy was spotted having oral sex with his passenger.
Tristan Smith, from Wendouree, fronted the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on September 14 where he pleaded guilty to a string of charges including theft of a motor vehicle and reckless conduct endangering life.
Smith was driving a Holden Commodore with a suspended registration in Geelong West when he mounted a traffic island near a Woolworths supermarket to avoid police.
He then reached speeds of up to 130km/h along the Western Fwy while being followed by the police chopper.
Smith was seen kissing and having oral intercourse with his passenger while driving on the freeway.
He drove through Sunshine, Footscray and Braybrook, even after police had punctured his tyres.
Smith was sentenced to nine months in jail and was disqualified from driving for two years.
Anthony Giampetrone
A Moolap man who had no criminal history held up a convenience store with a bread knife.
Anthony Giampetrone pleaded guilty in the County Court in Geelong in July
In the early hours of February 1, Giampetrone went to the Newcomb 7-Eleven on the Bellarine Hwy
After being let inside by the shop attendant just after 2.20am, he walked around the aisles, picking out items while another customer was served.
Moments later, Giampetrone walked up and put the items on the counter, before pulling out a bread knife about 25-30cm long.
He threatened to stab the attendant and repeatedly told him he needed money.
The shop attendant handed over cash and food items.
The court was told Giampetrone’s mental health deteriorated following the deaths of his closest friend and multiple family members, and his dependency on prescription medication, including benzodiazepines, increased.
Giampetrone was sentenced to a community corrections order for two years.
Isabellah Mahar
A St Leonards woman called in a bomb hoax at a Geelong school because another student didn’t feel like going to her afternoon classes.
Isabellah Maher, 19, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court this month, having pleaded guilty in September to a number of charges including making bomb hoax calls, using a carriage service to menace and aggravated burglary.
About 1.17pm on February 6 this year, Maher called Grovedale Secondary College and told a receptionist: “I’m going to blow up the school you f--kers”.
The school evacuated about 700 students and 100 staff members, moving them onto the oval.
Maher called the school again at 1.56pm and 1.58pm, saying: “I’m in D block and I’m going to stab everyone”.
Police attended and could not find any suspects or suspicious items, deeming the call a hoax.
About 1.12pm on February 14, Maher called the college again and told the receptionist there was a bomb in the school’s theatre.
Staff and students were evacuated a second time.
When she was interviewed by police, she told officers she was in a group chat with students from the school and a female pupil had asked her to call in a bomb threat because “she didn’t want to get to afternoon classes”.
Maher was placed on a 14-month community corrections order with 100 hours of community work.
Kevin McMahon
A man was caught on CCTV performing a sex act with a horse after breaking into a stable.
Kevin McMahon, 53, was found guilty of bestiality and three counts of trespass in the Geelong Magistrates Court in March this year.
The footage showed him leading the horse by a rope halter to an area of a stable where the act occurred.
He could be seen in a state of undress near the horse.
After the act, the man pocketed the rope halter and left the barn.
The stable owner received an alarm on her phone alerting her to a man leaving the property about midnight.
Police attended the scene and McMahon was arrested.
McMahon was placed on a two year community corrections order with 240 hours of unpaid community work and must be a registered sex offender for eight years.
Paolo Fattore
A Geelong man spotted a shirtless runner and decided to park his car, watch the victim exercise and touch himself in a sexual manner.
Paolo Fattore, 35, pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court in January to one charge of sexual exposure
Fattore was driving near Landy Field when he spotted the man running shirtless.
He pulled over, got out of his car and started to walk around the track.
Fattore was acting suspiciously near the toilet block when the victim saw him start to masturbate.
He stopped running and shouted: “Hey, what the f--- are you doing?”
Fattore then went to his car but was photographed by the victim who then called police.
Fattore was placed on a good behaviour bond.
Christian Rhind
A Mount Duneed man bought a samurai sword into a Geelong eatery and threatened to kill an employee.
Christian Rhind, 36, fronted the Geelong Magistrates Court in August for a diversion hearing and was charged with possessing a prohibited weapon at a licensed premises and behaving in an offensive manner.
The court heard on June 5 this year about 7.30pm, Mr Rhind went to the Local Eatery in Armstrong Creek, carrying a samurai sword in a sheath by his side.
Mr Rhind walked up to the bar, leant the sword against it and started “ranting incoherently”.
He allegedly said to an employee “I will kill you” but he did not threaten the employee with the sword.
Mr Rhind then placed the sword behind the bar, walked behind the bar area and followed the employee until they were outside the restaurant.
The employee went back inside to call triple-0 while Mr Rhind remained outside and allegedly continued to “rant incoherently”.
Police attended and found Mr Rhind was 20m away from the restaurant.
The court heard during a police interview at the scene, Mr Rhind was moderately alcohol affected and appeared to be delusional.
Mr Rhind was placed on a good behaviour bond and the samurai sword was seized and destroyed.
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