A MAN with an "explosive personality" will spend at least five-and-a-half years in jail for his vicious attack on a sleeping woman, inside her central Victorian home.
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Bendigo County Court Judge Mark Dean said the man had done nothing to get his own rage issues under control, despite being well aware of his anger management problems.
"You committed a cowardly and vicious assault on a defenceless young woman in her own home in the dead of night," Judge Dean said.
"Your attack upon her was relentless and fuelled by a paranoid sense of entitlement. You must have known you were inflicting extremely painful injuries to her."
Judge Dean said the man had allowed his emotions to boil over when he forced his way into the woman's bedroom, jumped on top of her and repeatedly punched her, in January 2021.
The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffered three fractures to her face including to the orbital bones around her eyes, and her nose. Her ribs were also fractured.
The man appeared at court via video link from prison on Monday morning, with his head bowed. He showed little emotion as he was sentenced to a total of eight years in jail, with a non-parole period of five years and six months.
Judge Dean said the 30-year-old man's past was riddled with prison sentences, community corrections orders, broken bail conditions and breached family violence orders.
The court was told he had assaulted other women in the past and that his attacks upon them had been escalating in severity.
The man had pleaded guilty to charges of damaging property, intentionally and recklessly causing serious injuries, and contravening an intervention order.
The court had been told he suffered from borderline personality disorder, a major depressive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder.
Judge Dean said despite the man's mental health problems, he had successfully held down a job for about 14 years.
"Over a number of years you have committed serious acts of violence while enraged," he said.
"You are aware of your explosive personality. And it would appear you have not taken any steps to address this."
Judge Dean said the community needed to be protected from the man.
"It is the fundamental responsibility of this court to protect woman from violent, controlling, paranoid men like you," he said.
"And this sentence must be calculated to deter other men from offending in this appalling manner.
"The court must unequivocally state that offending of this grave nature this will be met with the imposition of very significant terms of imprisonment upon conviction. You will also be punished for your vicious and cowardly crimes."
Judge Dean said the man had attempted to avoid responsibility for his crimes - including by hiding from police.
"You were arrested by investigating police hiding in a bedroom cupboard at your father's house - after he told investigators when they came to the house to arrest you that he hadn't seen you for days," Judge Dean said.
Judge Dean said the man had pretended to police that he was not at the victim's house at the time she was assaulted.
He had changed his plea to guilty on the day his trial was due to start.
Judge Dean said if the man had not pleaded guilty, he would have instead handed down a 10-year sentence with a non-parole term of seven years.
For family and domestic violence, help is available, contact:
- Centre for Non-Violence - 1800 884 292
- The Orange Door in Loddon - 1800 512 359
- Safe Steps - 24-hour hotline, 1800 015 188
- 1800 RESPECT - 24-hour hotline, 1800 737 732
Life in threat, call (000).
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