Damien Bambridge, 27, ​Ramon Close, ​pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to 13 offences, which also involved driving offences and ​using stolen bank cards to buy tools at a Warrnambool auto parts store.

Police said that on August 8 last year a co-accused hired a van in Ballarat before picking up Bambridge and another man with the intention of going to Melbourne west to commit a burglary.

Just after noon they went to a Bunnings store in Melbourne where they bought a sledgehammer and jemmy bar to commit the burglary.

The trio went to the home, where there were no vehicles parked and they assumed no one was home.

The backed up the van and the resident looked out, seeing the trio wearing balaclavas, gloves and hoodies. 

The victim armed himself with a large torch and confronted the trio.

Bambridge bashed the man to a leg,  causing an injury, and the victim was also struck to the head and body.

 But he fought back, smashed a window of the van and grabbed the keys as the trio tried to flee.

The three would-be burglars then fled on foot and two of them, including Bambridge, were caught and arrested by police officers soon after. 

Bambridge admitted going to the home with the intention of committing a burglary because of a debt owed. 

All three offenders have now been jailed for six months.

In December 2016 Bambridge was caught driving an unregistered car in Ballarat while not wearing a seat belt.

His licence had been cancelled for two years in August 2016.

Bambridge tested positive to meth amphetamine use and said he used cannabis the night before being pulled over. 

On May 10 last year Bambridge and another man drove to Warrnambool where they went to Burson Auto Parts.

During the afternoon Bambridge tried to buy tools valued at $2800 and $600 using two bank cards which were declined due to fraudulent activity. 

He eventually used a third and fourth card to buy tools worth $1130.

Defence counsel Amanda Chambers said her client admitted unimpressive prior court appearances and the real question was how long would spend in prison. 

She said he started using cannabis when he was 13 years old and had progressed to using ice. 

Bambridge has nine prior charges of driving while disqualified.

Magistrate Michael Coghlan said Bambridge had pleaded guilty to driving dishonesty and serious assault charges after he and others went to a victim’s home armed with weapons and assaulted the victim. 

He said it was fortunate Bambridge had not been charged with more serious offences. 

Mr Coghlan also resentenced Bambridge for breaching a community corrections order which had been imposed for a number of drug offences, handling stolen goods and driving while disqualified.

Bambridge was jailed for a total effective sentence of 12 months with a minimum six months to be served before being eligible for parole. 

He was also fined $400 and disqualified from driving for six months.