The victim, who was 18 at the time, reached the restaurant’s drive-through with life-threatening stab wounds at 12.20am – just minutes before staff left for the night.

His attacker, Andrew Glenn Pearson, 32, pleaded guilty in the Bendigo County Court on Friday to intentionally causing serious injury, making threats to kill, resisting arrest, theft and handling stolen goods.

Pearson responded to the victim’s car advert on Facebook on July 11, 2016, but claimed he needed a lift to Ballarat to get cash to make the purchase.

The victim agreed to drive Pearson to Ballarat in the car, but when he left his keys, phone and wallet inside to go and buy a drink, Pearson stole the car.

He then ran the victim over.

The victim was taken to hospital with minor injuries and later caught a bus back to Maryborough. He found the car in Pearson’s backyard just before midnight.

The victim banged on the door demanding his phone and wallet back, and broke one window due to his vigorous knocking.

Pearson came outside and struck the victim to the head with a hammer and kicked him in the face.

He then put him in a headlock and stabbed him in the chest twice with a kitchen knife.

The victim tried to crawl away, but Pearson swung the knife again and struck his arm.

As he tried to run away, Pearson stabbed his leg and threatened to go inside and get his gun.

Pearson stabbed his back, shouting “does this one hurt?” and then threatened to kill the victim’s brother, parents and dog. Pearson knew where the victim lived, the court heard.

The victim staggered to Maryborough McDonald’s where drive-through staff spotted him and provided first aid until an ambulance arrived.

He suffered lacerations to his lung and various other body parts, and required four blood transfusions.

Pearson was arrested in his house the following morning, and attempted to overdose on medication. He then thrashed at police and resisted arrest.

The victim described the ongoing effects of the crime in his victim impact statement, outlining how he now suffers obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

He described constantly searching crowds for signs of Pearson, his inability to handle physical contact with others, constant nightmares, a loss of trust and hyper vigilance.

He said he wanted to thank McDonald’s staff for saving his life, but struggled to leave the house.

Pearson has convictions on five previous instances of violent offending between 2004 and 2011, and claims he was ice-affected on the night.

He will be sentenced next week.