A man who is almost seven feet tall said he was intending to intimidate another man when he allegedly kicked down his door and assaulted him with a broom.
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Andrew Hilton, 34, applied for bail at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, charged with aggravated burglary with intent to assault.
Police informant Detective Senior Constable Scott Gordon said Hilton became angry believing the complainant had sent him a text message accusing him of stalking him through the night.
Hilton parked in the driveway of the complainant's Wendouree unit on May 21, allegedly ripped the security screen door off, threw it to the ground and kicked the front door twice, knocking it open.
The court heard Hilton picked up a broom, confronted the complainant and allegedly said he was going to kill him.
Due to his sheer size and being angry, that was the result he was after.
- Detective Senior Constable Scott Gordon
Hilton is accused of hitting the complainant five to six times with the broom while the complainant was kneeling on the floor with his arm in the air to protect himself.
The complainant's 16-month-old child was in the next room and his partner who was in the shower called triple zero when she heard yelling and screaming.
Hilton left the house but later attended the police station and made admissions to forcing entry in an attempt to make the complainant scared but said he did not assault him.
"Due to his sheer size and being angry, that was the result he was after," Detective Senior Constable Gordon said.
The court heard Hilton lived about 700 metres from the complainant and police had concerns he would re-offend if released on bail.
Defence lawyer Heidi Keighran said Hilton was compliant with police.
Hilton's father gave evidence to the court about his son's difficult childhood due to serious medical conditions, ADHD and learning difficulties.
He said Hilton was unemployed because of COVID-19 and had stopped his regular activities during that period and became restless.
The father said Hilton had told him about what happened on May 21 and said he was considering running away or going to the police station, ultimately deciding to hand himself in.
The court heard Hilton had used cannabis in the past month.
Magistrate Michelle Hodgson said she found compelling reasons for bail as there was a chance Hilton could spend more time in custody than any sentence if he was remanded.
She said it was unlikely Hilton would abscond as he had voluntarily attended the police station.
Ms Hodgson said she believed the risk on bail could be reduced to an acceptable level with the support of the Court Integrated Services Program and his parents who he would live with.
Hilton was released on bail and will return to court in September for a committal mention.
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Rochelle Kirkham
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
