A 35-year-old man was six months into a community corrections order when he took the law into his own hands to defend a relative.
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James Bradley punched the victim's front security door after learning he had made threats to his sister-in-law at 6pm on March 12, 2017.
The victim and Bradley's sister-in-law lived at a Wendouree unit complex at the time of the neighbourhood dispute.
The Ballarat Magistrates Court was told on Wednesday the victim allegedly told Bradley's sister-in-law and her two children if he had a gun he would shoot them and slit their throats.
Bradley and his brother-in-law became aware of the alleged threats and drove to the unit complex to confront the victim.
The court was told Bradley threw rocks towards the victim before punching his front security door several times, causing it to cave in.
Police arrived and questioned Bradley, who was verbally abusive towards them.
Defence barrister Matthew Cookson said the neighbourhood dispute started after the victim complained there were too many rocks going on his driveway.
"When (Bradley and his brother-in-law) got home they decided to confront him ... and my client damaged the door," Mr Cookson said.
The victim had threatened Bradley's wife during the dispute, Mr Cookson said, and both parties involved in the dispute were charged.
The court was told Bradley, a father of four children on a disability pension, was serving a community corrections order at the time of the offending.
Mr Cookson urged the court to consider sentencing Bradley to an adjourned undertaking to be on good behaviour.
But magistrate Gregory Robinson disagreed.
"I consider it an aggravating feature; you were on a CCO at the time," Mr Robinson told Bradley.
"You receive the pension, you can't go around and damage property that you can't afford to pay."
Mr Cookson said Bradley had previously been assessed as unsuitable to complete community work as part of a CCO.
He was convicted and fined $1000 and ordered to pay $735 compensation for damaging the security door.
If Bradley did not pleaded guilty, he would have been placed on a CCO with conditions.
Bradley pleaded guilty to one charge of wilful damage after the case was listed as a contested hearing.