Two men accused of stabbing another man in Wendouree have pleaded guilty to two charges of intentionally causing injury and theft.
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Zac Eric Taylor-Pring, 22, and Jake David Wakelin, 25, faced the County Court in Ballarat on Monday.
Prosecutors told the court the victim was carrying bags of linen home about 5.30am in December 2017 when he saw the accused drive past slowly and perform a U-turn.
He recognised Wakelin driving the car.
Taylor-Pring and Wakelin then got out and ran towards him - Wakelin then asked "are you ready for this?", and the victim saw knife blades in the men's hands. He turned to run away, and was stabbed in the back - a doctor's report notes two cuts, including one 15cm deep.
Taylor-Pring then took one of the victim's bags, which also contained his phone and wallet, and Wakelin tried to take the other bag.
The victim was known to both men.
Wakelin also pleaded guilty to summary charges for failing to stop for police while driving an unregistered car, with false numberplates, while unlicensed and with a knife in the vehicle in January 2018.
Wakelin has served 475 days in custody, while Taylor-Pring has served 149.
Their defence lawyers noted the men had troubled backgrounds - Wakelin has been in and out of jail since he was 18, with untreated mental health issues, and Taylor-Pring had undertaken courses while in custody and wanted to get out to support his young family.
Judge Frank Saccardo said the offending was serious.
He took note of Wakelin's "complicated" history and asked for a full assessment before handing down his sentence.
Taylor-Pring will be sentenced in Melbourne on Friday.
The pleas follow more serious charges, including armed robbery, being dropped after a committal hearing in November last year.
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