Marco Marzotto, 33, has pleaded guilty to several charges relating to a home invasion last year. Photo: Facebook.
A carpenter on cocaine who possibly thought he was “Superman” when he led a group of so-called vigilantes to break into a pregnant woman’s home has been blasted by a judge over his responsibility for the attack.
On Monday (26 July), 33-year-old Marco Marzotto was jailed by the ACT Supreme Court over the north Canberra home invasion last year.
“You were the instigator of the idea that you and your co-offenders engage in vigilante justice against the victim,” Justice John Burns told him during his sentencing.
“If it were not for you, this incident would not have occurred.
“Your incitement of your co-offenders was purely gratuitous.”
Marzotto met his five co-offenders for the first time at the Wanderlust strip club in Mitchell on the night of the home invasion.
They talked about how they believed their future victim had committed serious offences against several members of the group and that his phone contained evidence of his alleged crimes. Marzotto suggested they go and speak to him.
The group arrived at about 2:00 am on 10 July 2020, smashed a window to gain entry and when inside, Marzotto pushed their victim’s mother and told her: “If you don’t shut up, I’ll knock you out.”
Dylan Crick, 24; Jordan Connor Knight, 23; and Tianna Lee Robb, 22, pictured separately outside the ACT Courts. Photos: Albert McKnight.
He also forcibly pushed his victim’s sister into a bedroom, even though she yelled that she was pregnant.
Two co-offenders, 24-year-old Dylan Crick and 23-year-old Jordan Connor Knight, punched their victim in a bedroom. Marzotto picked up a decorative glass plate and smashed it over his head.
They left with two of their victim’s phones, which Marzotto later broke.
Justice Burns said Marzotto had told the author of a court report he had used cocaine at the time of the home invasion and had attempted to minimise his role by saying he had just “tagged along”.
However, Justice Burns found Marzotto was the instigator of the attack.
He said he had a “not insubstantial” criminal history and had undertaken courses in the past to assist with his rehabilitation, focusing on such areas as alcohol abuse and anger management.
But he also said at the time of the home invasion, Marzotto only had a month left of parole. Also, while one of his parole’s conditions was not to drink alcohol, he had drunk that night.
On 23 July, Marzotto’s lawyer, James Sabharwal of Burley Griffin Chambers, had told the Supreme Court he did not know why his client had “poked his nose into other people’s business”.
“It wasn’t his problem at all,” he said.
“But, under the influence of drugs and alcohol, he probably thought he was Superman.”
He pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, assault and damaging property.
Justice Burns sentenced him to two years’ jail with a non-parole period of 16 months. He will be eligible to be released from custody in January 2022.
His five co-offenders – Crick, Knight, 22-year-old Tianna Lee Robb, 21-year-old Letitia Humphries and 27-year-old Morgan Facer – have already been sentenced.
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