02 March 2023 , 10:28
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AirBnB guests whose birthday getaway turned into a catastrophic party trashing their host's property have been fined.
Students Adekoya Odukoya and Suliat Okunlola rented out the £2m luxury home in one of Dorset's most prestigious areas during the third Covid lockdown in March 2021.
But disaster struck when Odukoya advertised where they were staying on social media, leading to the stay for just a maximum of four people being invaded by swathes of young people.
The pair's posts "gave their location away" and soon enough, more than 50 people from London and Hertfordshire were descending on the luxury villa.
A raucous party broke out prompting angry neighbours in the affluent resort to call the police at around midnight, with officers unable to break up the bash until 3am.
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A pre-arranged coach arrived to pick up the party-goers, suggesting the huge bash had been pre-planned, with disgruntled neighbours waking to find gas canisters strewn across the street.
The pair paid to stay in the luxury home in Dorset before it was gatecrashed by dozens of young people (BNPS)Nick Briant, the businessman owner of the Sandbanks house on exclusive Millionaire's Row, arrived a few hours later to find the damage and was so incensed he blocked his clients' car in to stop them from leaving.
At the time the country was still under Covid restrictions with guidelines at the time stating people should stay at home.
Odukoya, from Watford, Herts, and Okunlola, from Peckham, south east London, were charged with holding a gathering of more than 30 people in a Tier 4 area and appeared at Poole magistrates' court this week.
Victoria Hill, prosecuting, said: "In the early hours of March 16, a number of neighbours complained about the party and police officers attended.
"They found in excess of 50 people in attendance.
The luxury home in an exclusive area of Sandbanks, Dorset, was trashed during the party (BNPS)"Officers dispersed all the individuals from the address and a pre-arranged coach attended and took a large number of people that attended the party away.
"The following morning the owner said the defendants were going to be attending to collect their car and belongings and the police turned up to deal with them for these matters.
"They were cautioned and told police they didn't organise the party, that everyone that turned up must have seen the location and taken it upon themselves to attend and it got out of control.
"The owner found a camera, on that there was at least one video that suggested the defendants had organised and talked about a party at the address."
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Odukoya was celebrating his 19th birthday when Okunlola posted social media updates leading to more than 50 people descending on the property (BNPS)Okunlola, a 20-year-old politics and international relations student, and Odukoya, also 20, and a fashion and business student, pleaded guilty and were both handed a £100 fine and ordered to pay £119 in costs.
Mr Briant, 38, said he had no idea those booking were planning to hold a party and was only aware of it when he was called by police in the middle of the night.
He said he had to spend £1,000 to get the property back to a liveable standard.
Airbnb introduced a temporary ban on parties in August 2020 when people 'took partying behaviour to rented homes' due to bars and nightclubs being closed or restricted in the Covid pandemic.
The accommodation company made the ban on 'disruptive parties' permanent last year after positive feedback and a large reduction in complaints about parties.