A MAN who allegedly struck another man in the head with a rifle during a dispute in Eaglehawk has been committed to stand trial in the County Court.
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The 30-year-old appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Thursday for a committal hearing.
He formally entered pleas of not guilty to charges of aggravated burglary, intentionally causing injury, assault, and contravening an intervention order.
The charges stemmed from an alleged incident at a Eaglehawk property on January 7 this year.
It was alleged the accused entered the victim's home about 2am and assaulted the man with a rifle before fleeing.
Four witnesses gave evidence about the alleged incident at the committal hearing.
The alleged victim of the assault told the court he had known the accused since high school but only began dating the man's sister in 2017.
The victim said he had been friends with the accused before they had a falling out in late 2019. It was at that time the victim took out an intervention order against the accused.
The victim said he was sitting in his lounge room about 2am on January 7 when the accused entered the property through the open front door, with the accused's sister trailing behind him.
The victim told the magistrate the man was carrying a rifle covered in a blanket and he was talking quickly as he showed the victim the firearm.
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The victim alleged the man loaded the gun in front of him before pointing it at his face. The victim told the court he went to push the rifle away when the accused struck him to the head before leaving the scene.
The accused's sister also gave evidence on Thursday.
She told the court she was very close to her brother and she often "vented" to him about the issues in her relationship.
The woman said her former partner often "lashed out" at her and the pair had a "fairly big fight" in the lead up to the alleged incident.
She told the court that while she could not recall many details about the alleged incident, she remembered her brother telling the victim, "you won't hit her again, will you?"
Informant Detective Senior Constable James Ludeman told the court there was CCTV footage of the accused returning to a Bendigo address about 40 minutes after the alleged incident.
Senior Detective Ludeman said the footage showed him carrying a rifle but police searched the Bendigo property and could not locate the firearm.
Magistrate Patrick Southey decided there was enough evidence for the matters to proceed to the County Court.
Mr Southey gave the accused his caution and the man entered his pleas of not guilty to the four charges.
He also entered pleas of guilty to charges of being a prohibited person possessing a firearm and breaching an intervention order.
Mr Southey granted the man bail after the defence submitted the 30-year-old had a place available at The Cottage rehabilitation facility in Shepparton.
The accused is due to appear in the County Court next month for a directions hearing.
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