The victim was taken to a bush location at One Tree Hill on the night of March 15, 2019.

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The kidnappers' plans fell apart when the victim fought back and fatally stabbed one of them, before escaping.

Bo Kevin Valli, 25, owned the car that was used to transport the victim and kidnappers. He faced the Victorian County Court via audio visual link on Thursday morning to be sentenced for his role in the botched crime.

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Judge Patricia Riddell said she accepted that Valli was not involved in detailed planning of kidnapping, did not know weapons would be used, nor that it would occur at night in a bush location.

The court heard however, that Valli knew and disliked the victim and expected he might be harmed, albeit with far less violence.

Judge Riddell said the kidnappers, who had been sentenced to jail for their part in the criminal offending, had acted like vigilantes.

The court heard they had tricked the 19-year-old male victim into getting into the car with them and planned to assault him, and leave him tied to a tree in the bush for days over his perceived mistreatment of a family member.

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The victim was attacked with a sledge hammer and beaten. When he was found by police he had lacerations and bruises caused by brunt force trauma.

The court heard that the victim feared he would be killed and withdrew a kitchen knife from his pocket and used it to stab a man who was on top of him. The man, 24-year-old Steven Judge, died from his injuries.

Harley James Dix, 29, Jara Lee Dix, 23, and Benjamin Keith Judge, 30, were each earlier sentenced to jail on charges of kidnapping and other offences.

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Judge Riddell said Valli, of Bendigo, had a life-long intellectual disability and had been assessed as vulnerable to being misled and manipulated by his peers. He attended a special school for his secondary education but left at age 16 and had no work history.

Judge Riddell said Valli had excellent rehabilitation prospects, had demonstrated genuine remorse and made full admissions during his police interview.

He also pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. Judge Riddell said if Valli had not pleaded guilty he would have had to serve a one-year prison sentence on top of a community corrections order.

She instead sentenced him to a two-year community corrections order and 200 hours of unpaid community work.

He will also be required to undergo training in decision making, problem solving and assertiveness.

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