High ranking outlaw motorcycle gang kingpin's son tells Bendigo Court of Appeal he wants out

The man is behind bars for family violence, theft and driving offences committed in 2020 and 2021.

The 33-year-old has been forced to serve his two-and-a-half-year prison term in protective custody because prison authorities feared he would be the target of reprisal attacks if he was placed in the general population.

The Bendigo Court of Appeal was told on Monday afternoon the man had been held in "lock down" conditions for the past five months.

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He was placed at the Hopkins Correctional Centre, Ararat, where COVID-19 restrictions have meant he has not been allowed visitors, has been held in a cell on his own, with no prison jobs or courses and little time allowed outside.

His legal counsel, Nicholas Rolfe cited the onerous conditions in prison as the grounds for a lighter sentence than the one he was handed at the Swan Hill Magistrates Court in March.

Prosecutor David Gray read 10 separate police summaries to the court to cover the extensive list of charges the man was jailed for, the most serious among them being violent attacks on his wife.

He threatened to kill her and repeatedly assaulted her.

Mr Rolfe said his client had owned up to the offending and pleaded guilty.

"He has been in and out of jail for a long time - mostly due to drug abuse," he said.

"When he is on the gear he cannot control his temper or behaviour."

Mr Rolfe said the man had found this stint in prison far harder than any he had endured before and was committed to making changes in his life to avoid more time in custody.

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Judge Kellie Blair said the man would need to be assessed for a community corrections order to see if he would be a suitable candidate for an early release.

Her Honour said any order would need to have therapeutic conditions, including mental health support and drug rehabilitation as well as supervision.

Judge Blair said the man had done well on parole once before and that he seemed to cope better with supervision.

"The conditions in custody sound appalling - how anybody is meant to rehabilitate is beyond me," she said. The case will return to court on Thursday.

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