Dean Speedie, 34, fled to Darwin in July, 2006, after the attack in which he kicked, punched and stomped on the head of his partner of seven years. 

The victim, who woke next to a pool of blood on July 6, 2006, was three months pregnant with Speedie's child.

The pair already had two children together. 

Speedie pleaded guilty to the unprovoked attack in the County Court at Ballarat on Friday. 

Crown Prosecutor Tania Bolton said Speedie had only recently reconnected with his partner before the attack, having moved back to Ballarat from Darwin. 

Speedie and the victim had been at his parents' house having dinner with friends and drinking on the night of the attack.

The court heard the victim woke in the morning, not knowing what had happened to her but noticing a large pool of blood next to the bed. 

Ms Bolton said detectives later found blood on a shower door which had been ripped from its hinges. 

A bedroom door had also been ripped off the wall, the court heard. 

The victim sustained a ruptured ear drum, as well as cuts and bruises all over her body. 

Ms Bolton said Speedie fled to Darwin after the attack, managing to evade police for several years. 

Speedie eventually handed himself in to Ballarat police on July 31 last year.

Defence barrister Daniel McGlone said Speedie was highly remorseful for the attack and had fled to Darwin because he was frightened. 

Mr McGlone said Speedie, who had been overcome by heroin use in his 20s, knew he had to eventually face up to the crime.

"There's no excuses, he's just bang and straight up," Mr McGlone said of Speedie's police interview.

At one point standing in the dock to speak for himself, an unemotional Speedie said it was now difficult to find work in Ballarat because of news of the attack. 

The Crown described the attack as "vicious and nasty", adding general deterrence was needed for such domestic violence. 

Judge Liz Gaynor agreed the attack was "appalling", but said it seemed to be a one off episode. 

"I am in no way trying to trivialise it," Judge Gaynor said. 

"This isn't a bloke who's habitually coming home and beating his partner." 

Judge Gaynor ordered Speedie be assessed for a community corrections order, adding that she would also consider a three month jail term. 

Speedie will be sentenced on June 10.