Joshua Aldous, 22, and co-accused Joseph Berkeley, 19, entered through the back of the house to confront Aldous' former girlfriend on August 26 last year.

The Bendigo Magistrates' Court heard Aldous was armed with a machete and told his ex-partner and her friend he would slit their throats if they called police.

Co-accused Berkeley watched on as Aldous slapped one of the victims, leaving her bleeding from the mouth. 

Both men then fled the scene and were arrested at their home in Kennington later that night.

Prosecuting, Sergeant Simon Richer said police raided their home the following day and found a traffickable amount of cannabis and other drug equipment, including digital scales and glass pipes used for smoking methamphetamine.

Berkeley pleaded guilty this week to a number of offences including unlawful assault, trafficking cannabis and possessing proceeds of crime.

Berkeley served 106 days in custody before he was released on December 11 last year.

The court heard Berkeley was not the main offender in the break-in.

He told police in an interview after his arrest that he had only gone to the house with Aldous in an attempt to talk him out of getting violent.

"I wanted to pull him up," he said.

Berkeley's defence lawyer Nadia Giorgianni said her client was not the instigator of the home invasion. She said Berkeley was affected by drugs at the time and has been battling a crippling ice addiction since his father's death in in 2012.

"He started drinking a lot and smoking cannabis then began using ice," she said.

"The ice was a daily habit... He lost his job, lost his house, everything crumbled around him."

Ms Giorgianni said Berkeley, who is a father of a two-year-old son, made full admissions and has shown remorse for his actions.

She said his time in remand was a "massive wake-up call".

Berkeley was placed on a Community Corrections Order for 12 months and ordered to undergo a drug treatment program.

Aldous has been ordered to face the County Court at a later date.