The man said he returned to his car, a silver-coloured Ford XR-6, to look for his keys when he heard a loud bang, which sounded like a gun.

He told the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Wednesday he recalled three balaclava-clad men involved in the incident but he could not confirm if one was carrying a gun.

In part of his statement read to the court, the victim said ‘male three’ held something in his two hands that was half-a-metre in length, being held at hip height.

In the heat of the moment, the victim thought one of the men was pointing a gun at him in the early hours of July 3, 2017. 

He said he believed one threat was made to him that he had five seconds to give the men his car keys or he would be shot or killed.

The victim, who was with another woman, said he was devastated the men took his car which contained personal items including his mobile phone and wallet.

Jason Scouller and Geoffrey Wetzel have been charged over the alleged incident and appeared in the dock together on Wednesday.

The pair gave each other a handshake before the committal hearing started, and another handshake when it was adjourned.

Two Special Operations Group police officers told the court Scouller and Wetzel were arrested in Mount Pleasant on July 7.

The arrest involved five SOG vehicles and 16 operators. One operator told the court the SOG vehicles boxed the car the accused were in to arrest them.

He said the Nissan Tiida drove into the SOG vehicle to evade them but it eventually could not drive any further and Scouller and Wetzel were arrested.

The pair, who have been in custody for almost a year, face a string of charges.

Scouller has been charged with more than 20 offences, including armed robbery, being a prohibited person who used a firearm and making a threat to kill.

The committal hearing will continue in October.