A Melbourne mother of four who suffered an acquired brain injury after being attacked by her boyfriend has told a court she sometimes regrets fighting for her life.
The woman, 33, hit her head on a footpath when her 27-year-old partner pushed her after a party in September last year, the Victorian County Court has heard.
Benjamin Day, a sommelier from Broadmeadows, initially told police two men had assaulted the victim before admitting he was the one who pushed her.
He has pleaded guilty to one count of recklessly causing injury and one count of breaching bail conditions.
The woman, a trainee beautician, said she can no longer care for her children and must rely on others to drive her to appointments.
"So much of who I was is now gone," she said in a victim impact statement read in court on Thursday.
"I feel like I am a constant burden ... my independence has been taken from me.
"I'm desperately afraid he will find me and successfully kill me.
"At times I regret fighting for my life."
Day's defence barrister Anthony Phillips said Day had been drinking heavily the night of the incident.
Mr Phillips said Day admits to "hitting or pushing" the victim but the majority of her injuries arose from her hitting her head.
Day, who was the victim of a kidnapping in 2012 which has led to anxiety and depression, said he feels empty when he thinks about the incident.
"Knowing that you're responsible for someone's injury that's quite extensive is quite hard to deal with," he told the court during his plea hearing.
Day said he didn't remember exactly what happened that night and he initially lied to police because he was drunk and scared.
"There was emotion, there was fear, there was lots of things contributing to that factor," he said.
Day left high school in year 11 and worked as a sommelier in Melbourne, including at the Press Club, until 2014.
Judge Carolyn Douglas said she wasn't convinced he was totally honest and remorseful in his police interview.
"He seemed to be very focused on himself, that it was in his interest," she said.
The hearing continues.
Share
