Jida Rose was at his mother's Ballarat North home with a co-accused and the victim on May 31 when the drug-related incident occurred.

The Ballarat Magistrates Court was told on Friday, Rose prevented the victim from leaving the house a number of times after his drug use escalated.

He took the victim's mobile telephone from her, telling her she was not leaving the house.

When police arrived at the house, the victim was forced into the cupboard while the co-accused prevented police from entering.

The court was told Rose made the victim speak on the phone to a friend and continued to communicate via text messages saying she was scared she was going to die and she had been kidnapped.

At one point during the ordeal, Rose told the victim he wanted to murder someone that night and held the machete blade to her throat.

The victim's friend phoned triple-0 and when police arrived, she was told to get back inside the cupboard. Police eventually arrested Rose.

In another incident, Rose assaulted his mother at her house where he used an electric cord to choke her.

His mother managed to escape and ran to a neighbour's house.

After accepting a sentence indication from magistrate Jonathan Klestadt, Rose pleaded guilty to a litany of charges.

He was convicted and sentenced to 12 months' jail with a non-parole period of six months.

He has already served 128 days in custody.

Defence lawyer Adrian Paull said his client had an intellectual disability and started taking drugs at 12 years old.

"The risk of a 21-year-old Aboriginal man becoming institutionalised is becoming graver and graver," Mr Paull said.

But he said Rose had strong support from the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative.

Mr Klestadt told Rose what happened to him after jail was up to him.

"You have three months to continue working in custody," Mr Klestadt said.

"Your mates are still out there, your drugs are still out there ... if you don't stay away from them you will be back in. Parole is different to a corrections order."