Scott Gordon Russell, 23, was also placed on a two-year community corrections order after pleading guilty at Bendigo County Court on Friday to attempted armed robbery.
The 23-year-old Queenslander, who has already spent almost four months in custody, threatened the man with a steak knife, demanding his car keys, on October 15 last year at Coles supermarket car park.
Russell then punched the man in the face after he refused.
The victim suffered minor injuries and did not require treatment.
In sentencing, Judge Michael McInerney told the court CCTV showed a ‘‘pretty brave victim’’.
‘‘Whatever you were doing under the impact of drugs and alcohol was fairly sustained as it appears to go for about three or four minutes,’’ he said.
The court was told Russell was behaving irrationally, drunk or drug-affected in the carpark about 7.20pm, using a trolley to hit a car.
‘‘Finally you decide to seek the victim and he’s innocently leaving Coles with his four-pack of spring water, you seek his car and utilise a knife to make a demand for his keys and when he refuses you use the knife again ... punch him and grab his shirt,’’ Judge McInerney said.
‘‘Whatever the reason, the only way you can describe these events are bizarre and very, very dangerous.’’
Judge McInerney said the crime was so serious, it carried a maximum penalty of 20 years’ jail.
‘‘The seriousness of this offence calls for no other option but jail.’’
The court was told Russell had significant priors, relating mainly to drug and public order offences, was found with weapons twice and had a long history of drug and alcohol addiction.
‘‘You appeared to have had a very disturbed background and have been subjected to violence from partners of your mother. However, you’re basically a person with relatively high intelligence,’’ Judge McInerney said.
‘‘As you well know for continuing your life, you’re either dead up the end of an alley, you’re in jail for the rest of your life or you give up drugs. A pretty stark reality for your life. You’ve just got to have the guts to be able to do it.’’
With a Department of Corrections report stating Russell was at a high risk of re-offending, Judge McInerney warned him not to come back to court.
‘‘You come back in front of me having breached this, don’t bring counsel, just bring your toothbrush,’’ he said.
‘‘Cause you’re going to get a nice whack if you come back in front of me. This is the last opportunity you get. Next time you might kill someone.’’
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