A TEENAGER has been sentenced to 22 months jail for a knife attack in Morwell a magistrate described as ``vicious, callous, unprovoked and frenzied''.
The 15 year-old this week faced a Children's Court charged with 18 offences, including recklessly causing serious injury, aggravated burglary, attempted armed robbery and attempting to escape from police custody.
Magistrate Fiona Hayes yesterday said the youth tried to escape the court on Tuesday, and warned him to be ``calm'' or she would have him removed from the court.
The youth pleaded guilty to an attack on a 54 year-old Morwell woman in her Chestnut Avenue home in April this year.
The court heard on Tuesday, 21 April the youth forced entry to a Princes Drive, Morwell home and stole cash, jewellery and alcohol, of which he drank ``a large amount'' that afternoon.
The defendant then went to the Chestnut Avenue address, where he threw a rock through the window of a car parked in the driveway.
The court heard he then kicked in a glass door at the house, produced a knife and went in search of the car's keys.
The victim, who was home on her own, heard breaking glass and approached the youth, who ``without speaking'' stabbed her ``a number of times to the neck and torso''.
Magistrate Hayes said the woman ran to the bathroom, but the defendant followed her and overpowered her before ``repeatedly'' stabbing and punching her.
The attack was stopped when a neighbour banged on the front door and the defendant escaped out a window, the court heard.
The woman was taken to Latrobe Regional Hospital and treated for more than 13 stab wounds which required 50 stitches.
Magistrate Hayes said the woman sustained a ``very serious'' stab wound to the right eye when the knife penetrated her eye socket.
Another ``very serious'' stab wound severed a nerve in her left arm, which has left her with no feeling in her left fingers, thumb and part of her hand.
In her victim impact statement, the woman said she was ``anxious, nervous and overly cautious'' after the attack, when she was previously a calm person. She said she could no longer do something as simple as using a knife and fork, and she had left her home because she could not return there.
In sentencing the youth, Magistrate Hayes said he had attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) but was not taking his medication at the time of the attack.
She said psychologist's reports showed his capacity to manage himself was ``significantly impaired'' and he had a ``moderate'' mental disability.
However she said she was satisfied he understood his actions were wrong, and ``at this time in his life'' the community needed to be protected from him.
Magistrate Hayes took 210 days already served into account when sentencing the teen.
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