Daniel Taggart, 21, Alexander Muscat, 28, and Benjamin Grech appeared in a County Court sitting in Ballarat on Wednesday for a plea hearing. Crown prosecutor Angela Moran told the court about the alleged assault, which occurred over a missing motorcycle on January 12 of last year.

Ms Moran said the victim arrived home after a trip to Melbourne and was confronted by Taggart, charged with one count of affray and one count of kidnapping, who had come in search of a motorcycle he believed to have been left at the property.

The court heard the victim was allegedly dragged from his car by his jumper and pushed up against a fence as the pair struggled.

Ms Moran said Taggart was allegedly heard saying “you better get rid of the kids, you’re all f***** now”.

Muscat and Gretch, both charged with one count of affray, kidnapping and recklessly causing serious injury, arrived at the scene before forcing the victim into a car and locking him in.

The victim was allegedly taken to a pine plantation near McCarthy’s Road where it was claimed he was hit several times by Muscat and Gretch with a baseball bat.

“The last thing the victim remembers is seeing a baseball bat coming towards his head,” Ms Moran told the court. Defence counsel for Taggart said his client was remorseful and believed a community corrections order (CCO) was appropriate.

“It isn’t a serious example of kidnapping,” he said.

“He made a series of bad decisions … that he regrets very much.”

Despite the Crown submitting imprisonment was appropriate, defence counsels for Muscat and Gretch also said a CCO would benefit their clients, telling the court the offence was “out of character” for the men who had not committed any further offences.

All three men will be assessed for a CCO before sentencing on September 16.