A GAMBLING addict will serve a lengthy prison sentence after he deceived staff at three local hotels in Mount Gambier, leading to the businesses losing a total of $63,932.
Francesco Donato Giannone, 33, appeared in the Adelaide District Court to be sentenced for two counts of dishonestly manipulating a machine and two counts of deception after being found guilty of the offences at trial.
The offending occurred on May 19, 2016, when Giannone attended at the first of three hotels and began gambling money.
The manager at the hotel knew Giannone was a gambler and only permitted himself or other senior management to serve the defendant.
“He told you that he was going to a funeral that afternoon and no other senior staff would be in the hotel so you should leave the hotel,” Judge Gordon Barrett told Gianonne during sentencing.
Gianonne did leave, however returned at around 2pm and began manipulating a younger staff member.
The first count of dishonestly manipulating a machine occurred when the staff member left the bar momentarily.
Giannone reached over and authorised a $1000 bet without paying for it.
The second count occurred around an hour later when the staff member left the bar again and the defendant authorised another bet for $2330.
“After paying for the first few bets with the winnings you had made by the first illegal bet and the one after that, the staff member asked you to pay for your bets,” Judge Barrett said.
Gianonne persuaded the staff member to allow him to continue betting by saying he had winning tickets and it was only when he had clocked up $11,364 of losing bets that the manager was contacted.
The defendant told the manager he had a friend coming from Victoria to cover the bets and they allowed him to leave the hotel.
Giannone attended at another hotel and told a staff member he had a $6000 credit slip.
The staff member believed the defendant and allowed him to make four bets totalling $7269.
When asked for the $6000 bet slip, it was processed and found to be worthless.
Giannone made a number of false promises to the hotel staff about how he would pay the money and was allowed to leave.
He attended the final hotel at 7.30pm and placed several bets over the next three hours.
A staff member allowed the defendant to make a couple of bets on the promise that he possessed winning tickets, however after he lost a couple she requested the tickets.
She put those tickets beside the machine.
“At times she was remonstrating with you about allowing her to process the winning tickets that you had given her and which she had placed beside the betting machine,” Judge Barrett said.
“She was fooled by your lies and despite her trying at times to insist on cashing the tickets, you always persuaded her not to.”
Giannone at times cashed in bets for a win, however by the end of the three hours he had lost $45,299.
The owner of the hotel attended and discovered that the tickets Giannone claimed had credit were worthless.
The staff member who allowed the conduct had worked at the hotel for eight years and was the mother of two young children.
As a result of the incident, she resigned from the hotel and was sued for $45,000, however settled for $20,000.
“The consequences for the staff member of that hotel are the saddest of all the people that you tricked,” Judge Barrett said.
“She was mortified about being fooled by you and was particularly distressed when giving her evidence.”
Judge Barrett said the harm caused to the staff members at the hotels was significant.
“You express no remorse and you maintain your innocence,” Judge Barrett said.
Judge Barrett sentenced Giannone to five years imprisonment with a three year non-parole period.
He reduced the sentence by four months for time spent in custody on charges that were discontinued in Adelaide.
The total head sentenced of four years and eight months with a two year, eight month non-parole period was backdated to commence on May 19, 2016, when the defendant was taken into custody.
