Aaron Lovett jailed for stabbing man in head at Preston Hotel pokies room

A savage father has put a knife to a man’s throat before stabbing his victim in the head during a terrifying Preston pokies venue attack.

A dad who was caught on camera stabbing a punter in the head at Preston Hotel can’t remember the spontaneous attack, a court has heard.

Aaron Lovett, 38, was sentenced in the County Court last week to a minimum 18 months’ jail after pleading guilty to charges including intentionally causing injury.

The father-of-three was high on heroin and ice when he viciously assaulted a man playing the pokies at the pub about 4.43am on December 22, 2019.

The court heard Lovett went and sat next to his victim, who was using a pokies machine, for about two minutes before launching the attack.

He then stood behind the man and used one hand to hold him and the other to hold a knife to his neck.

The pair got into a scuffle and Lovett — armed with a Stanley knife — stabbed the man twice in the head, once in the arm and once again in the head.

The victim ran to another part of the hotel where he was aided by several patrons but Lovett followed the man over.

A security guard who arrived after the altercation to see Lovett standing by the bar speaking aggressively to the victim told him to back off and Lovett left the hotel.

Lovett put the knife to his victim’s throat.

The victim was taken to the Royal Melbourne and given stitches for his wounds.

Lovett was on bail at the time of the attack and went on to steal from a car at Northland nine days later before he was arrested in Mill Park on January 6.

Lovett had previously been given numerous jail sentences for crimes including armed robbery and assault with a weapon.

The court heard he had suffered an abusive and traumatic upbringing and had begun heroin use at age 12.

It was heard the Indigenous man had an acquired brain injury and could not remember any of the incident because he was so heavily affected by drugs, but had not planned it ahead of time.

Judge David Brookes said it was highly concerning that the attack was impulsive.

Judge Brookes also inferred the attack would have been a “terrifying experience” for the victim.

The prosecution submitted the offending was aggravated and premeditated because Lovett had carried a knife.

Lovett was sentenced to a maximum of two years’ jail.

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