Paul Aaron Haselhoff faces Ballarat court for ‘cowardly’ assault with hammer

A convicted murderer assaulted a person with a hammer in a “sustained” and “cowardly” attack at a Ballarat home.

Paul Aaron Haselhoff faced Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with recklessly causing injury and more.

A convicted murderer smashed up a Ballarat home while wielding a hammer during an “appalling” assault of a resident.

Paul Aaron Haselhoff, 52, faced Ballarat Magistrates’ Court from custody on Tuesday having pleaded guilty to driving an unregistered car, shop and vehicle theft, retaining stolen goods, recklessly causing injury, property damage, and possessing methamphetamine.

Charge sheets reveal Haselhoff, who was convicted of murder in 1997 and sentenced to 17 years in prison, stole petrol worth $122 from Ampol Sebastopol in May and $120.90 worth from Ampol Soldiers Hill in June, 2024.

He also stole a ute from Mount Clear on July 3.

The bulk of his offending, however, related to what Magistrate Guillaume Bailin called “selfish and cowardly” acts.

The court heard Haselhoff went to a Ballarat home in July making demands of an occupant.

He fled and returned multiple times, shouting, smashing windows and at one point, swinging a hammer around and hitting a person’s leg.

The whole affair was “sustained and protracted over hours”, Mr Bailin said.

When police arrested Haselhoff, they found him in possession of meth.

Mr Bailin said Haselhoff had “minimal” but “not yet extinguished” prospects of rehabilitation and sentenced him to 14 months’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of six months.

Haselhoff has already spent 97 days in custody.