Kalijah Madison, 18, of Cameron Grove, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to 19 charges. He has already spent 29 days in custody. 

Police said that he threatened three groups of people with a knife on the night of June 14 and was then involved in a brutal coward punch outside Warrnambool’s central McDonald’s restaurant.

About 10am on June 14 in Timor Street, Madison approached a number of men, saying “you don’t want to mess with a black fella”. 

He pulled a knife out of his sleeve and threatened a man.

Just before midnight two men were at the Warrnambool Bowls Club waiting for a ride home when Madison ran at them, produced a knife from the front of his pants, held it to a man’s throat, put the tip to the victim’s stomach and then lunged at him.

The man threw himself backwards but still suffered a cut to his nose and chin.

At 1am the next morning a man and woman left the Seanchai Irish Pub and Madison grabbed the woman in the street, pulled out a knife and put it to her throat before Seanchai security staff intervened and restrained him.

On June 16 police executed a search warrant at Madison’s Cameron Grove home and found a sword, two imitation handguns and a knife with a 32cm blade.

Madison told police he had been drinking that night at home as well as at The Loft and the Seanchai. 

He estimated he consumed one litre of vodka and mixed drink cans. He said he was “pretty drunk” and “I get pretty wild when I’m drunk”.

On August 3 Madison was at a Lachlan Street flat in Warrnambool drinking when he twice argued with a man. He attempted to open a toilet/bathroom window from outside and hid on a roof when police were called.

When officers left, he jumped down and threatened the occupants of the flat before smashing a window with his elbow and hand, suffering a cut.

About 7.30pm on September 9 Madison approached a number of people outside the Warrnambool central McDonald’s restaurant. 

He king-hit one man to the face, knocking him unconscious, then kicked him three or four times and punched him while he was unconscious. 

Madison then pulled out a knife and threatened a young mother who was with her 18-month-old son.

Defence counsel Kiernan Celestina said his client had issues with alcohol and drugs and was “aggro” during the offending. He submitted that after spending 29 days in custody a residential Aboriginal program in Gippsland would best suit his client’s rehabilitation. 

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Kevin Mullins said Madison had a prior court appearance for a serious assault and on three occasions had gone “hauntingly close to taking someone else’s life”.

Magistrate John Lesser ordered Madison to be assessed for a CCO and a term in a youth justice centre.