A Warrnambool man stabbed his older brother in the chest and threatened to kill the family dog after being turned away from a south-west mental health unit, a court was told.
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Corey Wood, 22, pleaded guilty in Melbourne County Court on Tuesday to common law assault.
The court heard the man attended South West Healthcare for a mental health assessment in October 2018 but was asked to return the following day.
Instead he went home and stabbed his brother with a 30cm-long blade before grabbing the dog by the throat and threatening to kill it.
"You've stabbed your brother and looks like he is going to die," Wood's mother told him after the attack on October 15.
Wood replied: "I hope he does".
The brother was left blue, gasping for breath and going in and out of consciousness but survived after emergency surgery.
The court heard Wood had been mentally unwell and used drugs, and accused his brother of conspiring with the dog against him before launching an attack with two knives.
After being arrested and taken to the local police cells, Wood beat up another prisoner.
Lawyer Morgan Adams said being turned away from South West Healthcare was "a particularly sad scenario" with significant repercussions.
A magistrate had ordered the young man go for a mental health assessment after being granted bail for other offences, including a number of assaults to his brother in the family home between October 3 and October 8.
"Unfortunately he was sent away and told to come back the next day," Mr Adams said.
The mishap ended in an investigation and magistrates no longer made these kinds of orders, the lawyer added.
Wood spent 334 days in custody before being bailed to a rehabilitation centre in September last year.
Mr Adams said his client now understood drug use was extremely damaging for his mental health.
Judge Gerard Mullaly indicated he was prepared to sentence Wood to time already served followed by a strict community correction order.
He is due to be sentenced on July 1.
The Standard contacted South West Healthcare last year but executive director of mental health services Karyn Cook said the service was "not prepared to comment on individual cases".
"South West Healthcare operates 24 hour mental health access service across south-west region for urgent assessments and crisis presentations of existing and new consumers," she said.
"We are confident that all consumers who present to, or are referred to our mental health services are provided a comprehensive assessment, which result in planning for next steps for these individual consumers and their support networks."
- With Australian Associated Press
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