Airbnb Host Strangles 36-Year-Old Guest Over Unpaid Bill: Report

An Australian Airbnb host has admitted to killing a guest who could not afford to pay at his home near Melbourne, the media reported on Tuesday.

Jason Colton, 42, denied murder but has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Ramis Jonuzi in October 2017, reports the BBC.

The Supreme Court of Victoria heard on Tuesday that two housemates held the 36-year-old man down, while Colton beat and strangled him for not paying the A$210 ($149) he owed them.

Colton said that he only wanted to have Jonuzi pass out, not kill or seriously injure him.

Australian daily The Age reported that Jonuzi was a bricklayer, who had rented the room in Brighton East because he wanted a cheap and stable place to stay while he dealt with some "personal issues".

If the jury accepts Colton's manslaughter plea, he could be jailed for 20 years. If he's convicted of murder, however, he faces a potential life sentence.

In a statement, Airbnb, a privately-held global company that operates hospitality facilities, said it was "deeply saddened and outraged" by what had happened, and that it had removed the listing from its site.

"There is no place on Airbnb for such an abhorrent act, which violates everything our global community stands for," the company said.