Airbnb renter Mathew Zaffiro trashed Dandenong apartment, stole $4k bikes from storage cage
A Frankston North man who runs a warehouse business is racking up a lengthy criminal record. This time the crook crook trashed a Dandenong Airbnb apartment and stole two expensive bikes.
South East
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An Airbnb renter who trashed a Dandenong apartment and stole expensive bikes from an underground storage cage has been jailed.
Mathew Zaffiro and some of his mates stayed at the Princes Highway unit for one night on July 1 this year.
But the 31-year-old from Frankston North didn’t remain there for long.
In the middle of the night he used the digital key code provided by the Airbnb owner to gain access to the basement.
Then using bolt cutters to bust open a cage he took two bikes — one worth $2300 and the other valued at $1400 — as well as a $54 bike pump.
The cycles and pump were then put into two cars, one of them being driven by Zaffiro, and they raced from the scene.
The group had also trashed the apartment, damaging plaster walls, a kitchen table and carpets to the tune of $800.
They also neglected to pay for their very short stay.
Zaffiro had been seen on CCTV and a few weeks later was picked up by police, who knew him because of his extensive criminal history, and arrested and remanded.
The bikes have not been recovered.
Zaffiro pleaded guilty to burglary, theft and criminal damage charges at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
He also admitted not doing 100 hours of unpaid work he had been given on a community corrections order in January.
His defence lawyer said his client had struggled to find accommodation, which led to couch surfing which led to drug use and more offending.
He said Zaffiro, who runs a warehouse business, had spent around three months on remand and was hoping to get back to work upon his release.
Magistrate Suzette Dootjes said more time in jail was appropriate and sentenced him to four months in prison, minus 90 days he had already served.
Zaffiro was also ordered to do a 12-month community corrections order with drug treatment and the 100 hours of unpaid work that was still outstanding.
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