Gene Camilleri and Darrin Dean front court over assault

A Ballarat man paid a heavy price for reneging on a promise to gift an acquaintance his 1983 Datsun Bluebird on his birthday, only to sell it before the big day.

Ballarat man Gene Camilleri has gone to jail for beating a 51-year-old man inside his unit in the dead of night.

A Ballarat disability pensioner was beaten up inside his home in the dead of night after he reneged on a promise to gift an acquaintance a car — a 1983 Datsun Bluebird — on his birthday.

The 51-year-old man suffered bruises and abrasions across his body and was forced to move after the attack by Ballarat men Gene Camilleri, together with Darrin Dean.

Both men appeared for sentencing in the County Court on Friday after earlier pleading guilty to charges of aggravated burglary, intentionally causing injury and recklessly causing injury.

They were sentenced to three months’ imprisonment and given 20 months community corrections order to start at the conclusion of their prison terms.

Judge Nola Karapanagiotidis said the victim told Camilleri that he would give him a 1983 Datsun Bluebird as a birthday present.

He even gave Camilleri spare keys and paperwork for the car but changed his mind and sold the car in early 2021 for $750 without informing Camilleri.

A disability pensioner copped a beating for reneging on his promise to gift Ballarat man Gene Camilleri a Datsun Bluebird, similar to the one in picture, on his birthday,

Upon finding out about the sale, Judge Karapanagiotidis said Camilleri sent a number of text messages to the victim, including one where he said “You owe me. I am going to teach you a lesson”.

About 1.30am on October 26, 2022, Camilleri and Dean arrived at the victim’s unit in Ballarat and banged on the front door.

Dean began throwing pot plants around the yard and Camilleri overpowered the victim and forced the door open.

Camilleri accused the victim of lying as the latter lay on the floor in a foetal position.

Judge Karapanagiotidis said Camilleri punched the victim in his face twice, stomped on his ribs four to five times, struck him with a plastic handgun and kicked him in the buttocks.

Camilleri told the victim that he’d be back before leaving the unit.

A member of the public found the victim’s wallet and came to return it and saw him injured.

In his victim impact statement, the victim said the attack had turned him into a hermit and that he was stressed and traumatised by the beating.

He has trouble sleeping, is on disability pension and has anxiety and depression.

Judge Karapanagiotidis said both’s presence inside the house and the attack on a vulnerable man increased the gravity of the offending.