By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Springvale man has pleaded guilty to hacking the boyfriend of his ex-partner with a Samurai sword in an ambush attack in a residential street, a court has heard.
The victim was parked in his car outside the accused’s home in St John’s Avenue, having just dropped off the ex-partner and her young daughter on Sunday 26 August, 2018.
The 22-year-old accused man pounced out of bushes in front of the house, wielding the large sword, police told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 3 September.
With his face partly covered, he struck the driver’s side of the vehicle multiple times.
He struck the victim, leaving a deep laceration to his shoulder, as well as cuts to his armpit and arm, the court heard
The heavily bleeding victim managed to start his car and drove away. His attacker chased on foot, while still wielding the sword, police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Kate Kirk said.
The victim drove to nearby Stevens Street, summoning help from neighbours who dialled triple-0. He was taken to Dandenong Hospital.
Meanwhile, the accused followed the partner and daughter as they walked to Springvale railway station, the court heard
He sat down near them on a Dandenong-bound train, asking if they could get back together.
The man allegedly grabbed at the partner’s leg as she got out of the train at Yarraman station.
Police arrested the accused at the partner’s Noble Park home.
At court, he pleaded guilty to charges including recklessly causing injury.
Defence lawyer Farah Banihali conceded the “premeditated” act was a “very serious example of family violence”.
He had already bought the sword well before the act, however.
She told of how his family came from Cambodia, and he was later born in Adelaide.
He met his ex-partner on holiday in Cambodia six years ago, became engaged within a month and were married as 18-year-olds despite concerns from his family.
The accused sponsored her to migrate to Australia. They had a daughter together.
He’d become angry at the thought of the victim and partner “in his view, breaking up the relationship”, Ms Banihali said.
There were no diagnosed mental health issues, the court was told.
In a previous family violence incident, a relative kicked a hole in the door and pulled the partner through to escape the man’s furious assault.
He was sentenced to a community corrections order in 2016 for the violence, the court was told.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen described the recent offending as “extremely violent”, resulting in a “very deep” injury.
“If it was not for him being able to drive away, I don’t know how it would have ended.
“You are very fortunate, as he is, that he was able to drive away”
Mr Vandersteen issued five-year intervention orders to protect the three victims.
He deferred sentencing until a psychiatric report was prepared to assess “what was behind” the offending and the man’s risk when released.
He indicated the man faced jail followed by either parole or a community corrections order.
The man was remanded in custody to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 9 November.
