Ballarat man allegedly stabbed in bedroom gives evidence in court

The victim gave evidence at a contested committal hearing via a video link at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Brandon Wilson, Darren Anthony Hay, Sharnae Lewis and Aidan James Conaughton have pleaded not guilty to various offences over the August 1 incident.

Police allege the victim, who told the court he was a drug dealer, asked Lewis to pick him up from an Alfredton address and drive him to his Talbot Street home.

In the early hours of the morning, Lewis allegedly arrived with Conaughton, picked up the victim and drove to the Caltex service station on Wiltshire Lane to buy cigarettes on behalf of the victim.

They allegedly arrived at a Spencer Street house in Sebastopol where the third co-accused, Hay, lived.

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The victim told the court he went inside the house where there were up to six other people, who he did not know.

He said he could not remember how many people asked for a cigarette but he remembered Wilson striking him to the face, causing pain, while Lewis sat beside him on a couch in the lounge room.

The victim said after the first punch, two other men joined in, and he fell to the ground and lay in a foetal position. He said there was blood on the couch and his clothing.

Demands were made for his wallet and mobile phone but he could not remember who made the demands, the victim said.

He said he handed over his wallet, which contained $600 in drug cash, his mobile phone and house keys.

Police allege other demands were made, including threats of forcibly taking drugs, rape, cutting his fingers off and told to hand over $50,000.

The victim said a decision was then made to drive him to his Talbot Street home in a black Hyundai two-door hatchback.

He told the court Conaughton sat next to him in the back seat, Lewis sat in the front while Wilson was the driver.

He said it was possible someone else other than Wilson was in the driver's seat - a claim made by Wilson's lawyer, Manny Brennan.

The victim was driven to his home at 5.30am and Lewis and Conaughton allegedly walked into the victim's bedroom where his girlfriend was sleeping.

The victim's girlfriend told the court she woke up after hearing doors opening and closing and her boyfriend talking to a female.

She said her boyfriend and a man were in the bedroom pushing and shoving and the man picked up a steak knife from a bedside table.

"As soon as I saw the (man) swing (the knife), I looked away and I heard (the victim) scream and when I turned back I saw the man leave," the victim's girlfriend said.

She said she heard the man ask her boyfriend a number of times where his money was and to hand it over. The alleged incident was over in 90 seconds.

The victim said he was stabbed on his bed and when the man left the house, he ran out of his bedroom too but he saw blood running down his legs.

Police allege the victim was stabbed three times to the stomach and once to the buttock. He was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

The victim told Conaughton's barrister Jo Swiney he had taken methylamphetamine and consumed two glasses of whiskey while chilling out with a friend before he was picked up at the Alfredton address.

He said did not remember anything other than waking up in hospital and everything had been patchy over the past year.

"I get flashbacks and I have been diagnosed with PTSD over it," the victim said.

He said he identified the alleged offenders on a police photo board and he showed his girlfriend an image of a female and male on social media who she agreed were the two people in the bedroom.

Conaughton, who is in custody and Hay and Lewis, who are on bail, were committed to stand trial in the County Court. A direction's hearing will be held next month.

Wilson will return to court on Friday for a bail application and for magistrate Letizia Torres to finalise his contested committal hearing.

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