Taiga Yoshida fronts court over violent home invasion

A junior swimming champion who had dreams of competing at the Olympics spiralled out of control and was involved in a violent home invasion at St Kilda that almost killed a man.

Former champion swimmer Taiga Yoshida was armed with a machete during a violent home invasion in St Kilda East.

A Melbourne-based Olympic swimming hopeful has admitted his role in a violent home invasion where he attacked a young man with a machete.

Taiga Yoshida, 22, pleaded guilty in the County Court on Monday to charges of aggravated burglary and intentionally causing serious injury.

He committed the offences with two others who have already been dealt with by the courts but cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Yoshida pleaded to the charges via a video link while his mother and sister were present in court.

Prosecutor Daryl Brown told the court CCTV footage showed the 18-year-old male victim going downstairs from his Jervois St apartment at St Kilda East where he was confronted by Yoshida and two others.

The victim immediately ran up the stairs of his apartment and the three, including Yoshida, chased after him and told him “come here” while making slashing motions with their hands. Mr Brown said Yoshida was wearing a face mask with his hood up and had a machete in his hand.

Yoshida’s group kicked the door open after the victim entered his apartment and attempted to flee through his bedroom window.

Taiga Yoshida’s role in an aggravated burglary of an apartment in St Kilda East landed an 18-year-old man in hospital with life threatening injuries.

After he was stabbed in his bedroom, the 18-yar-old went to his bathroom and tried to climb out the window above the toilet, pushing the fly screen out.

He was stabbed on both sides of his torso, left calf and groin while trying to climb out the window. Mr Brown said the victim fractured his left forearm, elbow and a foot when he jumped from the window to the carpark, about 6m below.

He was transported to The Alfred hospital in a critical condition with life-threatening injuries and spent 16 days in hospital.

Yoshida’s lawyer Brittney Myers said Yoshida excelled as a swimmer in Victoria as well as nationally before he fell off the rails and started taking drugs.

In 2016 and then aged 14, Yoshida won five gold medals at the Victorian Age Championships before following up with two golds at the Australian Age Championships while competing for the GenAquatic team.

He completed the boys 13 years and under 50m freestyle in 24.75 seconds at the national competition- just .75 of a second behind Olympic 100m champion Kyle Chalmers’ Australian record for that age level of 24 seconds flat, set in 2012.

Yoshida is in custody and will return to court on August 22 for further plea.