A 24-year-old man who tortured a teenage plumbing apprentice over several months still faces jail time after pleading guilty.
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Aaron Devereux now faces a single charge of stalking, under the anti-bullying Brodie's Law act, after 13 other charges were dismissed.
Videos of Devereux and the apprentice were shown at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court accompanying the police summary, including showing him swearing at the teenager and putting him in a headlock, as well as filming the apprentice vomiting after he was forced to scull beers.
The prosecution also focused on an incident from February 2023, when the apprentice was encouraged to put his head in a noose made of tape - Devereux filmed the act, where the teenager was suspended by the neck for about two seconds by two other men and left with red marks.
The prosecution noted the video was posted online and sent to others, and Devereux, being older and more senior than the apprentice, had an opportunity to stop the two other men.
The police summary also included detail on the apprentice being spat on, spraypainted, and shot at with a nail gun.
Devereux's defence lawyer noted the lack of criminal history and submitted a "bundle" of character references, adding the pleading guilty was a sign of remorse.
"He didn't realise at the time how hurtful this pattern of beahvour was, he understands now," Devereux's lawyer said.
"He was working on a job site where behaviour involving bullying is common.
"There's a lot of mucking around that occurs on a job site, and without minimising what happened at all, this type of behaviour is somewhat commonplace - he didn't understand the impact at the time, that it was having on the victim, but looking back, he does.
"The shame, the stress, the embarrassment that's come with this (case) is significant deterrent for a man who's never come before the court before."
However, the prosecution tendered a psychological report showing the apprentice had now been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"(The behaviour) was cruel, humiliating, and degrading towards the victim, who at that stage was still a child," the prosecution told the court.
"There was an imbalance of power and authority between offender and victim, it would have made it harder for victim.
"(There's) another (character) reference, (the accused is) "a bit of a prankster, harmless fun, everyone finds it funny" - this goes far above.
"It was persistent and prevalent for seven months, and only ceased when reported to police and the victim stopped going to work ... you've seen the videos, this is above and beyond just some jokes in the workplace
Devereux's lawyer said a community corrections order without conviction was within range given his youth and prospects for rehabilitation, while the prosecution called for a combination of jail time followed by a CCO.
Stalking has a maximum penalty of 10 years.
Magistrate Letizia Torres adjourned the matter so Devereux could be assessed for a CCO, with the matter to return on March 28.
One of Devereux's co-offenders was given a good behaviour bond without conviction after pleading guilty to a single charge of reckless conduct endangering serious injury, while the other is contesting the charges at this stage.
