Nathan Rucker: Threats made with axe during Bendigo aggravated burglary

An axe-wielding man damaged property and threatened to cut off a woman’s hands during a terrifying home invasion in Bendigo.

A man has faced court charged with aggravated burglary after threatening a woman with an axe in Bendigo.

A Bendigo man threatened to chop off a woman’s hands with an axe during a frightening home invasion in 2020, a court has been told.

Nathan Rucker, 35, pleaded guilty in Melbourne County Court on Thursday to aggravated burglary, intentionally damaging property, assault, making threats to cause injury and possessing cannabis.

The charges related to an incident in September last year when Rucker went to the house of an associate he said owed him $100 over a drug transaction that fell through.

The court was told Rucker sat outside the house in his car drinking bourbon for some time before the victim, who lived there alone and was the partner of Rucker’s associate, returned home.

She was in the lounge room when confronted by Rucker, who had entered the home through a side door and was armed with an axe.

Rucker was aggressive and demanded to know where her partner was.

Fearing for her safety, she tried to escape to her bedroom but Rucker chased after her and dragged her back to the lounge room, forcing her face-down on the floor and telling her “I’m in charge”.

Rucker forced the woman to call her partner and screamed into the phone when he answered, before hanging up. The partner then called the police.

After another struggle, Rucker threatened to “cut up” the woman and if she did not comply would get her hands chopped off.

The court was told Rucker damaged the victim’s coffee table, a chair and television with the axe before again threatening to kill the woman.

Police arrived and arrested Rucker without incident. They found 1.05 grams of cannabis during a body search.

During an interview with police, Rucker said he wanted to “bash that junkie” — referring to his associate — and that he “wanted to at least break a cheekbone or two”.

Rucker told police he had given the man $100 to buy drugs for him, which he never received.

Defence lawyer Rebecca Heley said Rucker had been exposed to extreme violence from a young age at the hands of his biological father and stepfather and had also been abused as a child.

Ms Heley said her client had worked full-time in labouring jobs until he was 26 and had a hip replacement.

Rucker suffered a traumatic incident when his premature baby died in his arms after his former partner had given birth, and he had blamed himself for the death because he had cut the umbilical cord.

Ms Heley said the man had significant drug and alcohol issues and had mental health issues which had included several suicide attempts.

The court was told Rucker had completed almost 400 days of pre-sentence custody.

The matter was adjourned to a later date.