By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A man, high on alcohol and medication, has pleaded guilty to a frenzied axe attack on terrified housemates in Springvale, a court has heard.
Anthony Molnar, enraged that a housemate wouldn’t score him some marijuana, planted knives into the house mate’s door and squeezed tomato sauce over them on 6 September.
Molnar later retrieved an axe from his bedroom, threatened to hack into the housemate’s laptop with his axe and warned two housemates he’d cut them up if they called police.
He then smashed holes in walls with his axe, and smashed holes in a window with his hands.
The first housemate, who was followed into his bedroom by Molnar, armed himself with a golf club.
The club was knocked out of his hand by Molnar’s axe, which was then placed against the housemate’s throat.
“Don’t you know who I am?” Molnar told him.
The assailant told the victim he’d murder him by cutting his head off if police were called.
Police later noted the estimated $1000 damage to the property’s windows, cupboards and door handles, as well as hallway, laundry, kitchen and bedroom walls.
Molnar then rode his bike to an ex-partner’s house, where he kicked her in the lower back, grabbed her below her chin and pushed her up to a fence. He had previously been found guilty of recklessly causing her an injury in the past year.
Later, he confronted a Noble Park resident at their front door, telling him the block of units should be burnt down.
After resisting arrest by police, he was deemed too aggressive to interview, prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Kate Kirk told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 9 October.
Police took out family violence safety notices to protect the victims.
A defence lawyer said Molnar had asked his a housemate for marijuana to help him sleep. The accused hadn’t slept for several days at the time.
Molnar told the court he mixed Xanax – which he had mistaken for Valium – and alcohol to do the job instead. After taking the tablets, he had little recall.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said Molnar was facing jail, with a non-parole period, pending a Forensicare mental health assessment.
“We need to know what the underlying issues are.”
He said he wasn’t likely to order a CCO, given Molnar had previously re-offended and breached conditions while on a CCO.
Three-year personal safety orders with full conditions were issued to protect each of the victims.
