Reece Michael Collins, 28, from Stawell, pleaded guilty in the County Court in Ballarat on Monday to charges of recklessly causing injury and three charges of assault.

Director of Public Prosecutions prosecutor Bruce Nibbs told the court Reece Collins had been friends with one of the victims, Simon Currie, 41, before the offending and also knew Mr Currie’s parents, Beverley and Alan Currie.

In the statement of evidence before presiding Judge Elizabeth Gaynor, Mr Nibbs said on 9 September 2016, the accused and Simon Currie had been messaging each other via their mobile phones about a reported “falling out” over Currie bringing the drug ice to his house.

The court heard the messages became increasingly “heated’” with Collins stating, “You’ll f**king get a hiding for it”, and “little b**ch, I’ll come find you.”

Mr Nibbs said about 4.30pm on 9 September, Simon Currie was at his home with his parents when the accused arrived. Mrs Currie went to the door and Simon Currie had grabbed a fire poker, yelling at the accused that he did not want to fight.

Mrs Currie then stood between the two and told Collins to leave but Collins then grabbed Mrs Currie by her shirt and ‘jumper punched’ her to the face before “lunging” at Simon Currie, Mr Nibbs said.

The accused had then allegedly taken the fire poker from Simon Currie and hit him with it and the fight had continued before Mr and Mrs Currie eventually pulled Collins away.

The court heard Collins had started to leave and Simon Currie had then yelled, “You’re a dead man for hitting my parents”, at which point the accused went to his car and got an axe, which he then waved threateningly. Police reported that at 7.45pm that evening, Collins had handed himself into the Stawell police station.

Mr Nibbs said Collins had been on a 12-month good behaviour bond from a 2015 incident and had therefore breached his undertaking.

Defence barrister for Collins told the court his client had attended Ballarat Grammar on a partial scholarship and had achieved academically, serving as a prefect and soccer captain.

The court heard at this time Collins had endured emotional and sexual abuse via pornography from older students and a later mental health assessment reported this had caused him significant emotional difficulties.

After leaving school Collins had worked in an accountancy firm and later at an abattoir.

The court heard at one time he had used a range of drugs, including having a 20-gram a week ice habit, but had been trying to “wean himself off’’ and stop using.

Judge Gaynor convicted Collins and fined him an aggregate amount of $2000, telling him if there was a next time, “It will be third time unlucky.”

She said while she was not making an official order, she recommended Collins “undertake some psychological counselling” to resolve some of his issues from school.

“You have some anger bubbling away and I know young men don’t like counselling, they’d rather have their teeth pulled without anaesthetic, but I think you should look into it,” Judge Gaynor said.

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