But the man was not at the house, so he instead threatened his housemate with a vacuum cleaner pole and damaged property.

Bradley James McEniry, 22, pleaded guilty in the Bendigo County Court on Thursday to one count of aggravated burglary.

The court heard McEniry was drinking at a house party when he started arguing with another person.

During the argument another man’s name was mentioned, so McEniry gathered two others and headed to the man’s house in White Hills about 3.30am.

One of the group was armed with a vacuum cleaner pole.

They broke into the house and found the man’s housemate asleep in bed. The group stood over the end of the bed and threatened him.

McEniry repeatedly struck the bed with the vacuum cleaner pole and demanded the victim call the man, but he did not answer the phone.

A letterbox in front of the house was ripped out and thrown in the gutter.

McEniry said “I’m going to kill him” in relation to the other man.

When they could not find him at the house, they headed to a venue in central Bendigo and waited out the front for half an hour, before giving up.

McEniry was arrested at his home in the morning.

Judge Paul Grant said it was a “terrifying” incident for the victim, who provided a victim impact statement to the court.

Judge Grant said it was serious offending.

“(The victim) did nothing to you, and yet he was subjected to a terrifying situation of being woken by three men who yelled and raved at him.

“It is usual for a person to be imprisoned for such an offence.”

McEniry was not jailed because of his young age, his good prospects for rehabilitation and his co-operation with police.

He was convicted and placed on a 15-month community corrections order with 150 hours of unpaid community work.