Palazzo Versace guest refuses to pay, flashes knife
He says it’s not going to happen again and he was dumb and stupid
DUTY LAWYER, VERED TURNER
A MAN who refused to pay his accommodation bill at Palazzo Versace flashed a knife strapped to his leg and threatened a staff member at the upmarket hotel a court was told.
Devo Yilmaz Devrim pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday to knife possession in public after the incident last month.
Police prosecutor Erin Garland said officers were called to the Palazzo Versace lobby on December 8 as Devrim was “refusing to leave”.
Police spoke with a witness, the hotel duty manager, who had been threatened by the disgruntled guest.
“The witness told police the defendant had stayed the previous night and refused to pay his bill,” Ms Garland said in court.
“When talking to the defendant about the outstanding balance, (Devrim) pulled up the leg of his pants to show the witness that there was a knife strapped to his ankle and said words to the effect of ‘you know why I carry this, I know how to use it’.”
Devrim only left the lobby to visit the smoker’s area outside briefly, returning back inside where police then searched him.
When police failed to locate the weapon, Devrim admitted he’d dumped it “in the garden bed outside the front of the hotel”.
“When asked why he had the knife, (Devrim) said he carried it for self-defence and he knew in Queensland he was not legally allowed to carry it,” the prosecution said.
Duty lawyer, Vered Turner said her 47-year-old client was “very remorseful for his actions”. Ms Turner said Devrim had turned over a new leaf, having since relocated to Brisbane.
“He says it’s not going to happen again and he was dumb and stupid,” Ms Turner said.
The solicitor requested the magistrate consider a fine with no conviction. Acting Magistrate Ron Kilmer told Devrim “that sort of behaviour is just totally unacceptable”.
The offender was fined $800 and no conviction was recorded. The magistrate ordered the knife be forfeited to the Crown.