19th May 2021 6:13 AM When he saw his workmate s car parked outside a hotel, a Hervey Bay man made a bizarre decision. Heavily intoxicated, Jason Anthony Casella decided to have some fun a court was told, setting the car on fire before sending videos of the blaze to his mate. Appearing before Hervey Bay District Court on Tuesday, Casella pleaded guilty to one count of arson and unlawful entry of a vehicle for committing an indictable offence. The court heard the vehicle wasn t insured and $7000 was sought in restitution. Casella, 35, lived in Hervey Bay, the court was told, and his family was supportive of him.
The Penthouse covergirl who renovated her way to TV celebrity before becoming an escort has been found not guilty of extorting money from a sex client.
Suzi Taylor, 47, and co-accused enforcer Ali Ebrahimi have been cleared on extortion charges, deprivation of liberty, fraud and assault for attacking the man at an apartment in an inner-city Brisbane suburb in the early hours of October 30, 2019.
The Block star could not hold back tears as the decision was handed down.
After four days of evidence and the sacking of Ebrahimi s legal team, the jury struggled for more than 10 hours before finally reaching a verdict on Thursday afternoon.
Crime by Kay Dibben
Premium Content  Former The Block contestant Suzi Taylor and her co-accused have been found not guilty of five charges, including extortion, assault bodily harm and deprivation of liberty. Suellen Jan Taylor, 50, and Ali Ebrahimi, 24, had been accused of extorting money from escort client David Butler, with prosecutors alleging they assaulted him and kept him tied up in Taylor s unit for hours on October 30, 2019. Taylor, a mother-of-two, cried in the dock as the five not guilty verdicts were delivered. The jury deliberated for almost 10 hours before returning the verdicts on the sixth day of the Brisbane District Court trial.
Block star not guilty: 'This has destroyed Suzi's life' sunshinecoastdaily.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sunshinecoastdaily.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Crime by Kay Dibben
Premium Content
Subscriber only The jurors in the trial of former The Block contestant Suzi Taylor and a co-accused, who are charged with deprivation of liberty, extortion and other charges, have retired for the day. After two hours of deliberations, Judge Suzanne Sheridan allowed the jurors to go home. They will continue their deliberations from 9.30am Thursday. Suellen Jan Taylor and Ali Ebrahimi have pleaded not guilty to deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm in company, extortion, fraud and attempted fraud. David Butler told the court Ebrahimi allegedly tied him up for hours and he and Taylor punched and kicked him, after he went to Taylor s New Farm unit on October 31, 2019, to have sex with escort Katie .