Men accused of killing Airbnb guest committed to stand trial
A MAN accused of killing his Airbnb guest in a deadly rental dispute told police he punched him so many times he couldn’t recall the number — but he denies murdering him.
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A MAN accused of killing his Airbnb guest in a deadly rental dispute told police he punched him so many times that he couldn’t recall the number of blows.
Craig Jonathan Levy, 36, admitted, in his record of interview, he assaulted Ramis Jonuzi moments before he died on October 25 last year — but he has pleaded not guilty to his murder.
Mr Jonuzi’s family wiped away tears as details of his last horrifying moments were read out in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
ACCUSED KILLER CALLED COPS DURING DEADLY SCUFFLE
The court heard Mr Levy and housemates Jason Rohan Colton, 42, and Ryan Charles Smart, 37, launched the brutal beating inside the Brighton East house before dragging Mr Jonuzi outside onto the front lawn over money owed for rent.
Asked how many times he punched the victim, Mr Levy told police: “I don’t know how many times. I punched him a lot.”
When pressed on where he punched him, Mr Levy said: “Anywhere I could find a spot.
“We basically, the three of us, are around him. There was a lot of punches ... limbs going everywhere.”
He said he connected with his face “at least once”.
Mr Levy described to detectives in his interview seeing Mr Jonuzi, who was lying facedown in the dirt, “squirming” as Mr Colton sat on him.
“(Colton) had him by the neck and he was choking him at that point,” Mr Levy said.
The court heard Mr Levy gave his phone to Mr Jonuzi demanding he sign in to his online banking. Phone records show this happened at 8.14pm.
In a three-minute call to police from 8.20pm, Mr Levy requested they attend immediately to remove his unwanted tenant. He explained he had Mr Jonuzi restrained in a headlock.
When police arrived at 8.30pm, Mr Jonuzi was motionless, lying face down in chocolate cake, naked from the hips down, in the front garden.
Mr Levy, Mr Colton and Smart were crouched down around him.
Mr Levy, Mr Colton and Smart were each charged with murder.
Mr Jonuzi had only rented out a room in Mr Levy’s home 10 days earlier.
Smart has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
But Mr Levy and Mr Colton have both pleaded not guilty.
Following the three-day preliminary hearing, Magistrate Andrew McKenna determined their was sufficient evidence to commit them to stand trial in the Supreme Court.
They will face the Supreme Court for a directions hearing on Friday.