Bendigo court: violent attack at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre

In a separate incident, the man ripped a clump of hair from his former partner's head.

The 21-year-old father-to-be pleaded guilty to a number of serious charges including multiple driving offences involving speed, recklessly cause injury, contravening a family violence intervention order, recklessly causing injury to an emergency worker and assaulting a second emergency worker.

He will also lose his driver's licence for 12 months.

The Bendigo Magistrates' Court was shown a video of the young man's outburst in a Malmsbury common room where other detainees were playing ping pong and relaxing.

The man verbally abused a staff member before physically lashing out, hitting one person - who fell on the floor - and striking another.

Three to four staff members had to struggle to control him as he yelled obscenities before reinforcements arrived to deal with what Magistrate Russell Kelly called a "very violent incident".

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Malmsbury staff members could be seen and heard in the footage trying to calm the man - who was 19 at the time of the incident on August 28, 2020.

Magistrate Kelly said he did want to minimise the effect on the two complainants but said their injuries were at the lower end of what the court had previously seen.

The court heard the young man had significant prior convictions but had also "had it pretty tough".

Magistrate Kelly acknowledged the man had been "effectively abandoned by his parents" and also had a mental impairment. He lives with PTSD, a major depressive disorder, ADHD and borderline personality traits.

The court was also told the man's mother committed domestic violence against him as a child which included pouring boiling water over him, leaving scarring on his chest.

Magistrate Kelly told the young offender that Malmsbury staff did not "go to work expecting to be assaulted" in his "rampage".

The man was supported by his employer, who told the court he would have to close his business if his one staff member was jailed, and also by his current partner who is expecting their first child.

The young man's boss described him as among the best employees he had ever had.

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"He's courteous to homeowners, punctual, reliable - I can't fault him," the Bendigo business owner said.

"He's done some pretty horrific things but everyone's got a past and since he's come to me, I can't fault him at all."

The court was told it had been difficult to find other staff to work in the role.

The court also heard the young man's pregnant partner could lose their rental property if he was taken into custody as she would not be in a position to pay the rent.

The man's lawyer told the court six months or more in prison - which is the mandatory sentence for recklessly causing injury to an emergency worker without exceptional circumstances - would be "catastrophic" for the accused, his young and pregnant partner, and his employer.

The man was taken into custody directly from the courtroom on October 17.

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