Timothy Cakebread cannot remember the serious incident at the Meadow Gardens Retirement Village in the early hours of July 7, 2017.

The Ballarat man, who has only spent seven weeks in the community on parole in his adult life, was on bail at the time.

He pleaded guilty at the County Court in Ballarat on Tuesday to a string of charges relating to the incident, including recklessly causing injury, theft, unlawful assault, trespassing, possessing a dangerous article and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

Crown prosecutor Russell Hammill said Cakebread entered a blue Hyundai Excel parked in a driveway at the retirement village after 3.15am.

He said the accused tried to start the vehicle with a knife attached to a multi-tool and moved it five metres.

An hour later, a resident asked Cakebread what he was doing, to which he replied he was having car trouble. She then phoned the manager.

Mr Hammill said the manager arrived and closed the driver's side door but Cakebread exited via the passenger door.

He said the manager gave chase and followed Cakebread, who turned to confront him and threatened to stab him.

He then suddenly stabbed the manager in the forearm with a screwdriver, causing a 0.5 centimetre wound.

The court was told there was a second confrontation after the manager continued to chase Cakebread to the back perimetre fence.

As the manager tried to hold Cakebread, he grabbed his left hand and bit down hard on the manager's thumb joint which caused him further pain.

Mr Hammill said Cakebread ran to a friend's house in Delacombe where he was eventually arrested.

Defence lawyer Manny Brennan said his client had struggled with the drug ice and GHB since he was a teenager.

He said Cakebread had experimented with a prescribed drug on the night of the incident which attributed to his offending.

Cakebread's mother gave evidence in support of her son, saying he had been using drugs for almost 10 years to help him deal with domestic violence he witnessed as a child.

She said she had tried to organise drug rehabilitation for Cakebread in Ballarat but she was told there was a minimum 12-month wait list.

Mr Brennan submitted Cakebread was a young offender, he had family support and he pleaded guilty early.

He urged the court to consider a combination sentence of 22 months' jail followed by a community corrections order. 

The prosecution submitted a combination sentence was appropriate but Cakebread must be sentenced to immediate jail.

Judge Mark Gamble said Cakebread had a lot of work to do to change his life around.

He ordered Cakebread to be assessed for a community corrections order.