Woman, 21, avoids jail after attempted carjacking in Camperdown in 2022

The victim was at Camperdown's Woolworths supermarket on January 16, 2022, when she was approached by Toni Smith, then 19, and asked for a ride to the train station at 8pm.

She agreed despite not knowing the woman.

Once at the station, Smith lunged at the victim, pushing her and holding her against the driver's side door.

Smith then reached over, grabbed the car keys out of the ignition and said "this is a carjacking".

She told the victim to get out of the car and when she refused, the victim was punched to the left side of the face.

The victim was then threatened to be stabbed with a knife.

Smith, now 21, fled with the keys. She pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to attempted carjacking and other offences.

On Thursday, September 14, she was placed on a three-year good behaviour bond.

The court heard the offending left the victim shaking uncontrollably.

When she range triple-zero for help, she told the operator she feared for her life.

During a plea hearing in March, magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said the attempted carjacking was "absolutely outrageous".

"You asked this person for help and out of the goodness of her heart she does something many people would say was crazy to let a stranger into her car - Why? To help that person," he said.

"You repaid her kindness by absolutely terrifying her.

"A good Samartian decided to help her out and the poor woman was absolutely terrorised and petrified in the sanctity in her own car by your own client's loutish, thuggish behaviour."

At the time of the offending Smith was on bail for charges of criminal damage and trespassing in the Gippsland town of Orbost.

The magistrate deferred sentencing for six months and on Thursday said it was "refreshing" to see Smith had turned her life around.

He said in the ordinary course the court would consider a jail sentence or community correction order.

But he said Smith no longer used drugs, had made strides in her rehabilitation and her future looked promising.

"You owe the community big time in respect of this and you'll be under the supervision of the court for the next three years," the magistrate said.

Smith must also pay $1000 in compensation to the victim.

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