An armed, homeless man who stormed into a Dandenong hotel room to bash a stranger after a brief spat is facing automatic deportation.
James Moa, 31, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to home invasion and intentionally causing injury.
A “disinhibited” Moa had reportedly imbibed 48 cans of premixed bourbon, as well as cannabis, cocaine and ice in the lead-up to the assault.
He was in the rear of the yard of the ex-Dandenong fire station about 3.40am of 31 May 2024.
The victim spotted him from a balcony at the next-door Comfort Inn, and an argument ensued.
Armed with a broken bottle, Moa scaled the dividing wall and ran towards the victim’s room.
Initially he stood outside the wrong room but “unluckily for your victim, but perhaps luckily for his neighbour, (the victim) chose that moment to come outside”, sentencing judge Michael Tinney said on 24 February.
An armed Moa returned with a man with a “larger frame”. They kicked in the door, and beat the victim to the head during the 90-second visitation.
“Yours was a confrontational home invasion. You entered intending to assault,” the judge said.
The victim was left bleeding from large lacerations and disorientated.
At hospital, he refused stitches – and later declined to make a victim impact statement.
“It was obviously a frightening entry with significant enough physical violence inflicted upon him in his own home,” Judge Tinney said.
“It is notorious that this style of entry leads to a sense of insecurity in the minds of those whose homes or properties are entered.”
In a police interview, Moa – a former Cranbourne high school student – denied the assault and even being in the room. He also said he rarely drank.
However Moa later reported drinking a “prodigious” 48 cans of premixed whisky or bourbon cans a day at the time, as well as using cannabis, ice and cocaine.
“This offending was not intricately planned and no doubt was committed whilst disinhibited by alcohol and drugs.
“You do have a long term issue with a variety of illegal substances and alcohol and you will need to conquer those addictions.”
Judge Tinney noted Moa’s guilty plea, “some remorse”, disadvantaged upbringing, brief criminal history, and the risk of being deported to his New Zealand homeland.
He had “relatively good” rehabilitation prospects.
The judge said the non-citizen was set to have his visa automatically cancelled by Australian authorities – given Moa would be jailed for more than 12 months.
Moa was jailed for three years and eight months in jail, with a 26-month non-parole period.
His term included 257 days in pre-sentence detention.
