The perpetrator Colin Thornell was using drugs when he committed 'serious' domestic violence over a period of almost two years.

Thornell pleaded guilty to 23 charges at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Thursday where he appeared via video link from custody.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Steve Kent said some incidents of violence happened during the relationship and some after the break up, dating back to December 2017.

The couple were at the victim's home on December 16, 2017 when Thornell accused his partner of sleeping with the neighbour and hiding him in her mattress and wardrobe.

Thornell pushed the victim, squeezed her throat and said he would kill her, causing the victim to struggle to breath.

The court heard Thornell attended his partner's home in March 2018 and smashed the front windscreen and windows of her car that was loaned from her mother.

Senior Constable Kent said Thornell went to the victim's home after they had separated in December 2018 to collect his belongings.

The court heard Thornell and the victim began arguing and Thornell grabbed her with both hands by the throat for about five minutes.

In April 2019 Thornell was leaving a mutual friend's house when he saw the victim arriving and punctured her car tyre.

In September 2019 the victim woke up in her bedroom to find Thornell standing next to the bed, holding her foot.

The court heard Thornell grabbed her, bent her fingers back and put his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams for help.

Thornell said he would kill the victim three or four times, causing the victim to feel terrified.

Thornell was also charged with a number of drive while disqualified and drug driving offences, plus charges of burglary, theft and giving a false name to police.

Defence barrister David Gray said Thornell had been using illicit substances since 2007 since he suffered head trauma in an accident and used drugs to deal with pain.

He said Thornell was in a 'bad place' at the time of his arrest and the 'bizarre nature' of some of the offending could be linked to mental health issues.

"In one case he accused the victim of being unfaithful and said the culprit was inside the mattress," Mr Gray said.

"He has little memory of that. A psychiatrist believes it may be a case of him suffering from schizophrenia."

Mr Gray said Thornell's situation had now changed and he was motivated to stop offending upon his release from custody.

The court heard Thornell was now a grandfather and his mother and father were unwell and needed his assistance at home.

"He has a place to go," Mr Gray said.

"He has now got an environment that will assist in encouraging him to the straight and narrow."

Mr Gray submitted a community corrections order was necessary upon Thornell's release from prison to have a regime of treatment in place to prevent further offending.

"He instructs that the toxic relationship is over and he doesn't want to see her again," he said.

"It is hopefully a situation where he can put the past behind him and start a new life."

Magistrate Ron Saines said he would consider whether a non-parole period or a community corrections order upon release was the most appropriate sentence.

"Domestic violence of this nature is a serious problem and warrants a strong message of punishment and denunciation," he said.

Thornell will also be sentenced for breaching a community corrections order when he returns to court in February.

He has spent almost 500 days in custody.

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