Airbnb host raped by first tenant, court told
Woman alleges man she rented a room to attacked her and then told her ‘I will leave a good review’
AN Airbnb host was raped by her first ever guest, who then told her “I’ll leave a good review”, a court has heard.
Diego Dellarovere booked the room in Croydon in May 2021, despite living just 12 miles away in the Kensington area of London.
The 43-year-old, who is a reiki therapist, is accused of offering a massage to his host before attacking her.
The woman, who had never previously rented out her property through Airbnb, described how when he left the following morning he told her: “I’ll leave a good review.”
Mr Dellarovere, who is on trial at
Croydon Crown Court, is a graphic designer, who describes himself as a “citizen of the world”, the jury was told.
The alleged incident took place in May 2021, after he had booked a room in the victim’s flat, through the global property hosting website.
In a police interview played to the jury in the trial, the victim described how she thought it strange he needed a room given that he lived in London.
But she said she accepted the booking anyway and told detectives when he arrived they had chatted and she had poured them both a glass of wine.
After a while, she alleges that Mr Dellarovere began talking about his work as a Reiki therapist, which uses the natural energy of the body, before making advances towards her.
She said: “He mentioned massage at that point and was following me very close and came behind me and started rubbing my shoulders and I said: ‘No thanks.’
“Then when I was sitting on the couch he was touching my legs and said: ‘Put on spa music and I can give you a massage.’
“He was saying: ‘I have oil. I will give you a massage.’ I felt like he was just looking at me and not wanting just small talk and that’s when things turned,” she told detectives.
The victim described how the defendant began licking and kissing her neck and she forcefully pushed him away. She told police: “I was saying ‘no’ quite a lot and pushing and he stuck his tongue in my mouth and moved from there to my breast and his hand went down inside my leggings.”
She went on: “I said, ‘I don’t want this,’ and he said ‘Come on’ and started talking about that energy stuff we had discussed earlier.” The woman alleges Mr Dellarovere had then sexually assaulted and raped her.
After the alleged rape, she said she locked herself into her own bedroom and he texted her to say he was sorry and ask if she was angry.
The victim said after getting her pet dog and cat into the room, she barricaded the door with a piece of furniture. She also described how she took her knife block into the room, telling detectives: “I did not know what he was capable of doing.”
She said Mr Dellarovere, who had a set of door keys, went out for a walk and returned at around 2am, when he went to sleep in the spare room.
The court was told she had left a neutral review about him on Airbnb, which he had been annoyed about.
She explained: “He responded with an angry face emoji and there was some back and forth messaging in which he said it was consensual and using block capitals said I LIKED it.”
The jury heard that Mr Dellarovere then sent further Whatsapp messages, including: “I didn’t see any objections from you.”
Mr Dellarovere denies orally raping the woman, sexually assaulting her and assaulting her by penetration at her flat on May 7, 2021. The trial continues.
‘I said “I don’t want this” and he said “Come on” and started talking about that energy stuff’