Barrister Nancy Mikhaiel said Alex Rosewarne was never going to get away with his crime – and not because he was unmasked during the incident and had left his cap behind at the scene.

“There was a trail of text messages and the person knew who he was,” she said, explaining that the pair were involved in the same sport.

“Even if he hadn’t of left the items behind he was always going to be caught.

“It really is the height of stupidity.”

Court documents said Rosewarne, also know as Alex Hokai, had taken offence to a comment the victim had written on his girlfriend’s Facebook page on the morning of November 27, 2016, prompting him to send the man a private message seeking a meet up.

The victim said he didn’t want to see Rosewarne or fight him, but warned him he’d be “stabbed” if he came over.

The pair exchanged a series of antagonistic messages but the victim made it clear he didn’t want Rosewarne to come to his house.

However, the victim was inside his granny flat later that afternoon when Rosewarne, armed with a metal pole, and another man, carrying a hammer, arrived at the house and forced their way inside the flat.

The pair brutally bashed the victim, hitting him repeatedly in the head and body with the weapons.

The victim called out to a relative who came to assist – he himself receiving injuries in the ensuing melee.

Rosewarne and the co-offender eventually ran off.

The victim was taken to hospital where he was treated for swelling to his back shoulder and torso and two large cuts on his scalp which required stapling.

Rosewarne was arrested nine months later on August 1, 2017. He denied the allegations when questions but eventually admitted his crime in court, pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated break and enter.

In court this week, Rosewarne said he had no real explanation for his actions but accepted suggestions he was a person who was easily influenced by others.

Ms Mikhaiel said Rosewarne no longer associated with his former peers.

Judge Andrew Haesler sentenced Rosewarne to an overall prison term of three years and two months, with a non-parole period of 19-months, saying the case was an objectively serious example of a home invasion.

“Mr Rosewarne told the court “I obviously didn’t’ – that’s abundantly clear to me,” he said.

“He described it as ‘a stupid mistake’ but it was more than that, it was a serious criminal act.”

Rosewarne will be eligible for parole in May 2020.