A Ballarat grandmother has told a court she no longer feels safe in her home after waking to her grandson's 'blood curdling' screams and seeing the offenders who stabbed him running to the front door.
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"That was the last time I ever felt safe as I knew it," the grandmother said.
"I had loved and enjoyed my home since 2011. I want to leave Ballarat now."
One of the offenders admitted to stabbing the woman's grandson while looking for money and items to steal inside their home.
He pleaded guilty at the County Court of Victoria on Tuesday, appearing via video link from custody.
Aidan Conaughton, 27, joined a group attack on the 18-year-old victim at another home before driving him to his grandmother's house with intention of stealing his property.
Crown prosecutor Damian Plummer said the victim had asked an associate to give him a lift home earlier in the night of August 1, 2020, contacting her via social media to make the request.
That was the last time I ever felt safe as I knew it.
- Victim's grandmother
Conaughton was driving with the associate in the passenger seat and the victim got into the back of the car when they picked him up.
The court heard they stopped to purchase cigarettes then went to another associate's house in Sebastopol to share the cigarettes, but the victim did not know the people in that house.
Mr Plummer said a number of people in the house asked the victim for cigarettes and methamphetamine.
One person accused the victim of 'lagging' on their brother and began punching, kicking and throwing items at him.
The court heard the victim curled up on the couch to protect himself but his eye socket and nose was fractured in the attack, with blood pouring from his face.
One of the co-accused said the victim could be released if he gave them $50,000 and the victim started handing over his possessions.
Conaughton and a co-accused drove the victim to his grandmother's house and went inside intending to steal his property.
He began rifling through the victim's drawers and asked him to hand over his money.
The court heard Conaughton grabbed a steak knife and held it at the victim's throat, swung it and then stabbed his stomach three times and buttocks once.
The victim's grandmother was woken by screaming and banging and saw Conaughton and the co-accused running to the door.
"My grandson was hysterically screaming 'I have been stabbed'," she wrote in a victim impact statement that was read to the court.
"I was so scared and didn't know if the people were coming back. I was in shock and couldn't think of what to do."
The victim collapsed, triple-zero was called and he was transferred to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
He was treated for a cut above his eye, bruising on the eye and stab wounds and underwent surgery.
The victim's grandmother said she was not allowed to travel with her grandson to hospital because of COVID-19 restrictions.
"He was transported to Melbourne in a coma and I did not know if I would see him again," she wrote.
The court heard the victim spent a week in hospital and he required an external bag for six to 12 months afterwards due to a perforated bowel.
Defence barrister Graeme Davis requested an adjournment of the case to allow for the completion of a psychological assessment for his client.
The case was adjourned to May. Conaughton will remain in custody.
"He is aware his sentence is going to be quite substantial," Mr Davis said.
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