James Porter-Cullen, 27, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to a range of violent offences, breaching court orders and sending more than 1000 abusive messages and texts.

The charges included two counts of stalking, making a threat to kill, persistently breaching a court order, unlawful assault, dangerous driving while pursued by police, theft of a vehicle and recklessly conduct endangering serious injury.

Police said that on January 6 a victim visited a friend’s Price Place home, Porter-Cullen opened the door, picked up a baseball bat and struck him to the head in a completely unprovoked attack.

Officers saw Porter-Cullen driving a black Ford Territory in McGregors Road on February 5 and intercepted him as he was wanted for questioning over the baseball bat assault.

Police members approached the Ford but Porter-Cullen drove off, narrowly missing running down an officer before crashing into the back of a divisional van.

He sped off and a police pursuit was terminated soon after due to Porter-Cullen‘s dangerous driving. 

Police found the Ford had been stolen and it was located the next day parked in Timor Street with the keys in the ignition but minus the registration plates.

In the following days Porter-Cullen got in contact with a woman protected by a court-imposed intervention order. 

He approached her to put petrol in a car, at one stage had a hand on a blue handled knife and asked if she wanted to keep her eyes.

He had previously threatened to poke her eyes out.

Late last year the woman received more than 1000 text messages, Facebook messenger messages and calls, some even from prison, many which were threatening and abusive.

Even after an intervention order was put in place, the messages and calls and calls continued and he told her he always breached the court orders. 

Porter-Cullen threatened to stab the woman in the neck and watch her bleed out. 

In a victim impact statement the woman said she was now living a completely different life due to Porter-Cullen‘s offending.

She said she was on three lots of medication, suffered post traumatic stress disorder and felt extreme guilt about the negative impact the offending had on her two young children. 

The woman said she found it hard to fall asleep and when she did she had nightmares.

On February 15 special operations group police officers surrounded a Fleetwood Court home and arrested Porter-Cullen with the help of a police dog.

Porter-Cullen suffered significant injuries to his buttocks during the arrest.

Magistrate Michael Coghlan said Porter-Cullen had engaged in an extreme course of conduct breaching the court order which had a considerable impact on the victim.

He said Porter-Cullen had been previously jailed for for breaching court orders and offences of violence.

The magistrate said there was a degree of selfishness in Porter-Cullen‘s crimes, which was common among serious offenders. 

Mr Coghlan said life was going to pass Porter-Cullen by if he didn’t make significant changes.

He said page 16 of a medical report indicated Porter-Cullen could improve his cognitive function if he stayed off drugs and had better impulse control - which was relevant to many offenders. 

Porter-Cullen was jailed for a total effective sentence of 18 months with 176 days counted as already served.