‘Devil’ man rapes, tortures Dutch tourist in six-weeks of hell at Melbourne hotel

UPDATE: A MAN claiming to be possessed by the devil dished out “psychological torture of the highest order” when he raped a young Dutch tourist during six weeks of hell at a Melbourne hotel.

AN EVIL man repeatedly and brutally raped, beat and threatened a Dutch tourist over six weeks in a Melbourne hotel subjected both the woman and his long-term partner to “psychological torture and manipulation of the highest order,” a judge has said.

Consensual threesomes between the 21-year-old tourist and long-term couple Alfio Granata, 44, and Jennifer Peaston, 34, turned into a six-week ice-fuelled nightmare in a room at Preston’s Rydges Bell City complex during November and December 2012.

The tourist was stabbed and cut with knifes, assaulted with a meat tenderiser and repeatedly raped — at times with objects, including a knife, vibrator and banana.

Dr Nanette Rogers, SC, told the County Court Granata — who claimed to be possessed by the devil — was obsessed with the idea that the women were having a secret relationship behind his back and invoked strict rules, including about where the tourist could look.

Granata told the tourist he was possessed by the devil and the spirit of a relative, and threatened to kill her and her family.

He told both women he had killed 248 people and gotten away with it and that they were “maggots” that “deserved to die”.

On one occasion he cut a cross into the tourist’s head, telling her she was “marked for death”.

Ms Rogers said he performed a ritual — putting a photo of the tourist, along with her hair and nail cuttings and her blood, in an envelope — to signal the end of her life.

On Christmas Day 2012, the woman stabbed Granata as he slept and tried to kill herself, which prompted the couple to call police.

Peaston initially told police she and the tourist assaulted each other during sex to heighten the pleasure and their extensive injuries were not caused by Granata.

Today, she pleaded guilty to two charges of intentionally causing injury for joining in on assaults against the tourist on two occasions.

The tourist, via video link, said she had panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder and could barely function due to her ongoing trauma.

“It will be with me for the rest of my life and I definitely hope it will be with you too,” she said to a tearful Peaston.

Defence counsel Nola Karapanagiotidis said Granata was their “mutual tormentor”, who created “a constant climate of fear and apprehension for both these women”.

She said Peaston, who had a panic attack in court, had been in custody for close to two years “as a highly traumatised individual” after being subjected to assaults and psychological manipulation, which reduced her moral culpability for her crimes.

In iPhone footage of Granata interrogating and slapping the women played in court, Granata told them: “Your judge and jury is me and I find you guilty of a treason, betrayal, original sin.”

Judge Frank Gucciardo said: “When someone is subjected to that kind of psychological onslaught, it’s difficult for them to remain sane.”

The plea hearing continues tomorrow.

On Monday, Granata pleaded guilty to sixteen charges, including nine counts of rape, one count of intentionally causing serious injury and two counts of making threats to kill.

He was initially charged with around 170 offences.

Granata is in custody and will appear in court for a pre-sentence hearing at a later date.