By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A home invader kicking in a front door and attacking a sleeping man with a meat cleaver at Doveton was described by a judge as “the stuff of nightmares”.
Robert Scandolera, 27, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court to charges including intentionally causing injury and home invasion.
Before the “startling” attack on 26 November, 2020, Scandolera had punched up the victim in the hallway of an apartment building in Clow Street, Dandenong, and stolen the victim’s mountain bike.
That afternoon, Scandolera was driven in a stolen car to the victim’s home in Kidds Road, Doveton.
With an unknown male known as ‘Shadow’, Scandolera revealed his “fearsome” weapon and kicked in the door.
He swung the cleaver three times at the victim – who was roused out of his sleep in bed. With the last swing, the victim was struck six centimetres through to bone on the left side of his head.
The screaming victim required stitches in Dandenong Hospital.
“It must have been a terrifying attack,” Judge Michael Tinney said in sentencing on 29 October.
A week later, Scandolera and co-accused Dylen Harraghy, 28, were arrested in Dandenong. The former possessed a small amount of ice at the time.
At the time, Scandolera had just been released from jail on a community corrections order.
His lengthy criminal history of violence, robbery and dishonesty was coupled with a decade of serious drug issues, the court heard.
His “most unenviable” background of “real disadvantage” included being exposed to drugs, alcohol and violence at an early age.
His role-models were “anything but positive” during his unstable developmental years. He had intellectual deficits.
“You were dealt a very poor hand,” Judge Tinney said.
This partly explained Scandolera’s “faltering trajectory” but he also chose not to take rehabilitative opportunities offered by courts.
“You need a job, a home, structure and support from people. You need a sense of belonging that you perhaps have never experienced.
“You need to completely change the way you live your life. You have enough issues without adding to them by using drugs.”
Harraghy, a father of young children, had an upbringing that Scandolera “could only dream of”, Judge Tinney said.
“It’s puzzling why you sit where you do in the dock.”
At the time, Harraghy was using ice daily and living in a “drug den”.
He had engaged well in CISP bail and taken steps to address his drug use before being charged with domestic violence in August.
Harraghy had played a “key role” in driving the stolen car as part of the “raiding party”.
He was charged with the lesser offence of aggravated burglary after telling police that he didn’t enter the house when he saw Scandolera reveal his weapon.
Judge Tinney noted Harraghy was on bail at the time and drove to the house knowing of the plan to assault the victim.
He had motives to have the victim beat up – that is, the victim owed him a drug debt and made alleged “overtures” to his girlfriend.
He also knew Scandolera was in an “agitated state” at the time, and witnessed him “monster” the victim earlier.
Scandolera was jailed for up to six-and-a-half years, including a non-parole period. He’d already served 326 days in pre-sentence custody.
Harraghy was jailed for up to three years, nine months – including 73 days in pre-sentence detenction.
