Warrnambool's William Orde pleads guilty to intentionally causing serious injury after Tinder assault

Luke Ryan, 32, said as a result of the assault he couldn't even write his own victim impact statement due to injuries to the right side of his body after brain bleeds.

He wears glasses because of the loss of sight to his right eye, he can't walk, can't change the pitch of his voice, can't drive, can't work and said he lived with the long-term consequences every day.

"I rely on others for basic living skills," he said in his victim impact statement.

Warrnambool's William Orde, 28, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool County Court last year to intentionally causing serious injury, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment.

He was jailed in May to eight years and 10 months.

Orde must serve a non-parole period of six years and two months.

Ryan and Mr Orde were known to each other and Mr Orde believed Mr Ryan had interacted with his girlfriend, or former girlfriend, on online dating site Tinder.

On April 26 last year Mr Ryan suffered life-threatening and life-changing brain injuries.

That night Orde was at the homes of friends in Warrnambool before he and another man went to Allansford, where CCTV showed them pulling into a driveway at the Ryan household in Drylakes Road at 5.12am.

Orde called Jamie Ryan and asked where Luke was. Jamie Ryan came outside his home and talked to Orde, who told him there was interaction on Tinder involving Luke Ryan.

Jamie Ryan said Orde was agitated and fidgety.

Luke Ryan then came out of his home, and sat in the vehicle with Orde, Orde's friends and his brother.

Jamie Ryan got out of the car and Orde, his friend and Luke Ryan drove away a few hundred metres to a dark area among paddocks.

Luke Ryan and Orde got out of the car and spoke to each other in front of the vehicle while lit up by headlights.

Orde grabbed Ryan by the shoulders, struck him to the head and Ryan fell down.

Orde then delivered a "soccer-type" kick to Mr Ryan's head from about a metre and then stomped on his head.

Orde's friend then intervened, fearing that Orde would kill Mr Ryan.

The friend turned Mr Ryan on his side, placed his head in his lap, noting there was a great deal of blood and Mr Ryan was making a gurgling noise.

Jamie Ryan was then called at 5.42am, arrived soon after and saw his brother lying on the dirt road obviously hurt.

He asked Orde what had happened and Orde was screaming and yelling: "Do you wanna have a go too?"

Mr Orde said: "I'm not going down for a murder rap, get him conscious."

Jamie Ryan put his brother in his car and drove back to his home, where an ambulance was called.

Police were initially told Luke Ryan was injured after falling off a motorbike.

Paramedics stablised Mr Ryan and he was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

His skull was fractured in five places and he suffered bleeding to the brain in two places which led to an acquired brain injury.

Mr Ryan has no memory of the events due to post traumatic amnesia.

He was intubated and placed in an induced coma at the intensive care unit to assist his recovery.

Additional complications included stomach problems, a speech disorder, difficulty speaking, incontinence and scarring.

Police also obtained a message from Orde to his friend thanking for intervening as he feared he would have killed Mr Ryan.

Officers quickly dismissed that Mr Ryan had been in a motorcycle accident and obtained his clothes and photos of the car he was transported in and from inside his house.

Orde was arrested on May 12 last year in relation to the assault and a police operation code named Abalone.

They seized a pair of steel capped Mongrel work boots and blood on the top of the left boot was linked to Luke Ryan.

Luke Ryan's mother Kylie Ryan said in a victim impact statement she was living her worst nightmare.

She said she was her son's full-time carer, he no longer had everyday living skills, she couldn't sleep and her family had been forever changed.

At the time of his plea hearing, Orde had been in custody for 527 days and the court heard he has a lengthy criminal record.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: