A Victorian man has admitted he drugged and raped a woman who rented a room from him after it was advertised on Gumtree.
Marco Gastello, 44, appeared by video link from prison in Melbourne's County Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to five sexual offences.
In July 2017, a 25-year-old woman who was studying English in Australia moved into one of Gastello's spare bedrooms after responding to a Gumtree advertisement, a court heard previously.
On the night she moved in, Gastello invited her to play pool with him and offered her vodka shots to "kill the bacteria" in her throat after she started coughing.
The woman went to the toilet and while there she heard the sound of a spoon clinking against a glass.
When she returned, Gastello filled up her shot glass with more vodka and told her to drink it.
After consuming the shots, she said she found it difficult to walk but managed to reach her bedroom where she fell asleep.
The following morning she woke up in Gastello's bed. She recalled him dragging her to his bedroom by her wrists.
Gastello went to the gym and she found the shot glass she had been drinking from, which had a white powdery substance inside. She took photos of the substance and poured it into a plastic cup, which she later gave to police.
The woman reported the incident to police later that day and tests were done, which found she had benzodiazepine in her system and she had been raped, with bruises on her body.
However, between 2017 and 2020 the police case did not progress due to staffing changes within Victoria Police. Gastello was eventually arrested and charged in June 2020.
He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to rape, indecent assault and administration of an intoxicating substance. He also admitted a 2014 sexual assault and possession of child abuse material.
Gastello will next face court for a plea hearing in January 2023.
