The 39-year-old pleaded guilty in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court this week to unlawful assault and persistent breach of a family violence intervention order.

The court heard the man and the victim met five years ago and had been in an on-again, off-again relationship they both described as "toxic".

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A family violence intervention order protecting the victim had been issued, but she stayed with the offender for two weeks after returning to Victoria from interstate.

Earlier this month, the court heard, the pair got into an argument over the man's alleged contact with a teenager.

During the argument the man hit the woman on the shoulder with a broom handle, leaving a red mark.

The court heard the man had also sent abusive and derogatory text messages to the woman.

When he was arrested, the man told police he could not resist helping the woman, and said he knew his actions were unlawful.

The court heard the man was serving two community corrections order for other offences, including breaches of intervention orders protecting the same victim.

Defence lawyer Robert Timms said his client should have contacted police and not let the victim in when she came to his door.

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Mr Timms said the man was doing well on a community corrections order and receiving "great benefit" from his contact with a psychologist, drug and alcohol counselling, the men's behaviour change program, and another family program.

The man voluntarily attended the police station after this incident, he said, and made full and frank admissions.

"He acknowledges that his behaviour was certainly wrong," Mr Timms said.

"He also acknowledges that he should have tried to nip this in the bud as soon as she returned from [interstate], to try and protect them both from any further issues."

He said the circumstances this time were different to previous occasions, and the woman had attended the man's home.

But magistrate Sharon McRae said the man needed to spend more time in prison than the two days he had served before his plea.

Ms McRae told the man he had already been given "a very good run" with his previous two corrections orders and it was not appropriate he be given another.

She said the messages he sent the woman were disgusting and "beyond the pale".

Ms McRae jailed the man for one month, noting the two days he had already served.

But for his guilty plea, he would have spent six weeks in prison.

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