A man who punched his ex-partner, stabbed her friend and left a significant amount of blood on the floors and walls was "on a mission", a judge has said.
The attacker had been "creeping" on his ex-partner for days when he broke into her home in July 2023, threatening her and a male friend with a fishing knife in "punishing, unpredictable" violence.
On Thursday, the man was sentenced to almost five years behind bars, to be eligible for parole in September 2026.
He had previously pleaded guilty to a string of charges including a count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of assaulting a front-line community service provider, and one of aggravated burglary. Some of the charges were classified as family violence.
In the ACT Supreme Court's circle sentencing list, Justice Louise Taylor said it was an "intense and vicious" attack.
She said she had taken into account the man's deprived childhood, mental health issues and the fact he was on bail when he committed the crimes.
The court heard the couple were in an on-and-off again relationship for about a decade, but had been separated for two years at the time of the attack.
In July 2023, the man turned up at his ex-partner's home in a stolen car.
The victim was with a male friend at the property when her ex-partner broke down the front door, while wearing a balaclava and holding a knife in each hand.
The ex-partner tried to hide her friend, but the attacker flipped over a couch and began threatening him with a knife, stabbing his hands to the point one finger was "hanging by a thread".
The man then turned on his ex-partner and punched her in the face, causing a loose tooth and bleeding from her mouth and nose. He then fled the scene.
When police arrived they found the woman crying and visibly shaken, fearful the man would have killed her friend.
The friend needed emergency surgery, and was left with permanent scars and possible loss of feeling in his fingers, the court heard.
A few days later, police recognised the attacker at a service station in Belconnen, and asked for identification. He showed them a false drivers license, and when officers tried to arrest him he punched one in the head and elbowed another in the eye.
On Thursday, Justice Taylor said the man had shown remorse while in custody, and a desire to "turn his life around".
She read out a statement from the man, saying he wanted to address his substance abuse and re-engage with culture and community.
"I feel sad, sorry and disgusted, I want to apologise to my ex-partner, I want to better my life," he said.
The man described his life to date as "absent of a sense of peace".
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; MensLine 1300 789 978; ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service 6280 0900; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
