Offender Anthony Illarietti jailed for armed robbery, attack in Lockwood South

Anthony Illarietti, 37, was sentenced in the County Court on Friday after he pleaded guilty to charges of armed robbery, recklessly causing injury, and unlawful assault.

Judge Marcus Dempsey said the "violent offending" would have caused "fear and terror" in the victims.

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The court heard on the afternoon of July 31 last year, a man and his mother were at their Lockwood South property when Illarietti and a co-accused arrived.

The two offenders went to the shed where the man was and asked to buy drugs.

The victim told the men he no longer sold drugs and Illarietti was initially not aggressive. But at some point, the 37-year-old pulled out a small pocket knife and threatened the victim, demanding money.

The victim told Illarietti his belongings were inside the house, so he walked with the pair out of the shed.

The victim tried to run away, but Illarietti and the co-accused chased him down. The group then entered the house where the victim's mother was.

At some point, Illarietti told the woman her son owed him about $4500.

The man went to his room to find his wallet but realised he had left it in his car, so they returned outside with the mother following.

The victim grabbed about $1200 in cash from the centre console and gave it to the offenders.

While they were distracted, the victim grabbed a hatchet from the boot of his car. He screamed at the men to leave his property while holding the hatchet.

Illarietti grabbed the man's mother and used her as a shield while still holding the knife.

The victim told Illarietti to let his mother go or he would throw the weapon at his head.

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Illarietti let go of the woman and lunged at the man, stabbing him in his left wrist. The man dropped the hatchet and Illarietti stabbed him again in his left shoulder.

Illarietti and the co-accused then got in their car and left the scene.

The court heard the victim needed to be taken to Bendigo Hospital for treatment. He required stitches and had pain and swelling for several weeks.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Dempsey said the offending had been protracted and was at the "upper end of seriousness".

The judge noted Illarietti's adult life had been "ravaged" with drug and alcohol abuse, which led to 17 separate court appearances since 2002.

Judge Dempsey said Illarietti had only been out of jail for about a month before he committed the offences in Lockwood South.

The judge noted that while in custody, Illarietti had made efforts to find residential rehabilitation for his drug addiction so while his reform prospects were "bleak", they were not "fully extinguished".

Judge Dempsey said Illarietti would also get a discount on sentence because of his early guilty plea.

Illarietti was convicted and jailed for five years and two months, with a non-parole period of three years and six months.

His 407 days of pre-sentence detention were reckoned as already served.

If Illarietti did not plead guilty, he would have been jailed for seven years and nine months with a non-parole period of six years.

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