A MAN armed with an axe broke into a Long Gully home and assaulted a woman because he believed the victim's partner owed him $100, a court has heard.
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Queensland man Nathan Steele Rucker, 35, appeared in the County Court on Thursday.
He pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated burglary with an offensive weapon, intentionally damaging property, common law assault, making threats to inflict serious injury, and possessing a drug of dependence.
The court heard about 6pm on September 24 last year, Rucker drove to the victim's Long Gully home because he was angry about the supposed $100 debt.
When Rucker arrived at the property, he realised no one was home so he sat in his car and drank bourbon.
About 30 minutes later, the 35-year-old exited the vehicle and walked up the victim's driveway while carrying an axe.
The victim had recently arrived home and was sitting alone in the lounge room when she heard banging. She then heard someone trying to get in through the back door.
Rucker, who was armed with the axe, entered the property via a side door and walked into the lounge room. He asked the woman where her partner was, before yelling that the man owed him money.
The woman told Rucker to "get the f*** out" of her house and tried to run to the front door, but the 35-year-old chased her, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her back into the lounge room.
Rucker pushed her face-down onto the floor and struck the woman to the middle of her lower back. He also yelled at her, saying "I'm in charge".
Rucker held the victim to the ground and told her to call her partner. She called the man and screamed into the phone when he answered. The victim's partner subsequently called the police.
Rucker and the victim struggled over the phone, before he pulled the victim off the ground and over to the television area.
He told her he would cut her up and said "people who f*** around get their hands chopped off".
Rucker swung the axe around, striking and damaging a coffee table, television, and chair with the weapon.
The woman asked Rucker if she could sit on the couch, which he allowed. He then threw the axe onto the floor, knelt down in front of the victim, and began yelling at her again.
Rucker told the woman he would be there for a long time, that she was not going anywhere, and that he would kill her.
He eventually calmed down and told the victim he had broken up with his girlfriend and it was the victim's fault.
Police arrived a short time later and arrested Rucker. They found a small container with 1.05 grams of cannabis in his pocket.
During his record of police interview, Rucker told officers he wanted to "bash" the victim's partner because the man had "ripped (him) off".
Rucker called the victim a "fat b****" that repulsed him, although he later conceded that he would have terrified the woman.
Defence counsel Rebecca Heley told the court Rucker had a difficult childhood full of "extreme physical abuse" at the hands of his father and step-father.
Ms Heley said Rucker started drinking regularly at the age of 13 before beginning to abuse illicit substances at the age of 15.
The defence counsel said Rucker was working steadily until he had a hip replacement at the age of 26, which was when his long term relationship broke down and he lost custody of his two children.
Ms Heley said Rucker had longstanding issues of self-harm and suicide attempts, which resulted in a possible brain injury.
The defence counsel conceded while a jail term was the only appropriate sentence, Rucker's disadvantaged background and mental health issues should be considered in sentencing.
Prosecutor Emma Fargher told the court a prison term with a non-parole period was the only available sentence because the offending was serious and frightening.
Ms Fargher also noted that Rucker could be extradited to Queensland as he was facing charges of attempted murder.
But the prosecutor said the judge should not take the possible extradition into consideration for sentence.
Judge Michael O'Connell adjourned the case to allow the defence to obtain more evidence about Rucker's possible cognitive impairments.
The plea was adjourned to a date yet to be fixed and Rucker was remanded in custody.
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