Top jockey’s sister Kristy Avdulla jailed for bashing and robbing cancer patient at Frankston
The sister of a leading jockey who bound, bashed and robbed her Frankston friend – who was undergoing cancer treatment at the time – has learned her fate.
South East
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The sister of a top jockey who bashed then bound her cancer patient mate with duct tape during a “callous and cowardly” Frankston home invasion, has been jailed.
Kristy Avdulla, 27, was sentenced in the County Court today to a minimum four years’ jail after pleading guilty to charges including false imprisonment and causing injury intentionally.
Avdulla — whose brother Brenton Avdulla is one of Australia’s leading jockeys — stormed her victim Richard Della Grazia’s home on April 10 last year.
Avdulla, who had been friends with Mr Della Grazia, was aware her victim was undergoing treatment for heart and pancreatic cancer.
She was also aware Mr Della Grazia had recently received a large inheritance and had almost $150,000 in his bank account.
Avdulla rushed her victim to the door while her accomplice, a masked-man, disguised in all black, entered the house.
The masked thug pushed Mr Della Grazia against the TV, grabbed his throat and slammed his head into the tile floor.
Mr Della Grazia asked Avdulla to help but she just stood there.
The victim stopped struggling because he couldn’t breathe.
The offenders duct taped Mr Della Grazia’s eyes, mouth, face and ankles and cable-tied his hands and arms.
They left Mr Della Grazia on the floor while they ransacked his house.
His phone was unlocked by pressing the touchscreen against his fingerprint.
The masked brute demanded Mr Della Grazia cough up his CommBank password.
An unknown offender then kicked Mr Della Grazia in the stomach and he was
dragged into the bathroom.
Avdulla and her cronies fled with Mr Della Grazia’s wallet, cards and several phones and computers valued at $5000.
Mr Della Grazia was left on the bathroom floor in a “lot of pain” for more than an hour until a friend stopped over to check on him.
It took the friend and a neighbour about “20 minutes” to remove the duct tape and cable ties.
Mr Della Grazia was taken to The Alfred with serious head injuries where he remained for four days.
In the meantime, Avdulla and her hoods had transferred $80,000 onto Mr Della Grazia’s stolen bank card.
Avdulla, who was pregnant at the time, withdrew $4000 from two ATMs less than an hour after the brutal robbery began.
Avdulla transferred almost $30,000 to several bank accounts she controlled.
She also transferred $20,000 to Mr Della Grazia’s TAB betting account which she had access to.
Avdulla purchased a gold chain valued at $12,999 from Michael Hill Jewellers online but the order was later cancelled.
Police arrested Avdulla on June 21 after she stole a car from a Seaford car dealership.
Avdulla, who had been out of jail less than three weeks when she fleeced Mr Della Grazia, was linked to the crimes through CCTV and DNA taken from the duct tape.
Her father, Peter Avdulla, gave his daughter a reference for her plea hearing.
Her brother Brenton — a multiple group 1-winning jockey who won the 2016 VRC Oaks on tearaway 100/1 shot Lasqueti Spirit — did not support his sister at court.
Judge Susan Pullen said during last month’s plea hearing Avdulla’s offending was “relatively sophisticated”.
“I regard the behaviour of (Avdulla) particularly callous and cowardly …” Judge Pullen said.
“A bit of cunningness about all of this.”
Avdulla, who also pleaded guilty to obtain a financial advantage by deception, was jailed for a maximum six years and 14 days.
She had spent 356 days in custody.
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