Brayden Peter Donnelly, 25, faced the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday where he was sentenced for the stabbing of Bradley Hayman on February 24 last year.
Donnelly had previously pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious injury over the attack.
When sentencing, Judge Andrew Tinney referred to the circumstances of the stabbing which occurred at the Shepparton home of Donnelly's former partner, who is now deceased.
The court heard Donnelly, his former partner, Mr Hayman and his girlfriend were inside the home when a fight broke out between Donnelly and Mr Hayman.
“Mr Hayman himself did not deliver any blows to you, and seemingly did no more than endeavor to control you, which he successfully did,” Judge Tinney said.
About a minute later Donnelly grabbed a filleting knife that was in a scabbard under a blanket on the bed, before walking up to Mr Hayman and pushing him up against the wall in the hallway.
“(Despite) his repeated demands not to be attacked, you stabbed him once with the knife to the upper abdomen - this caused him to immediately lose his breath and his vision went dark,” Mr Tinney said.
“He saw blood squirt out of the hole in his chest.”
The court heard Mr Hayman tried to get away however Donnelly managed to stab him twice more to the right bicep, and also slashed him to the face.
Mr Hayman then ran out of the house before being assisted into the front seat of Donnelly's former partner's vehicle and driven to hospital.
Mr Tinney said Donnelly then disposed of the knife and fled the scene before police arrived and later located the weapon inside a wall cavity in the hallway of the home.
Donnelly was arrested on February 26.
The court heard Mr Hayman was later airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition where he "required emergency surgery" to save his life.
Mr Tinney said he acknowledged Donnelly, who had a history of long-term drug abuse, suffered from a mild intellectual disability.
When sentencing, Mr Tinney said he took into account a clinical psychologist report which gave evidence to Donnelly having symptoms of depression, while also diagnosing him with Major Depressive Disorder and Opioid Use Disorder.
Mr Tinney acknowledged the stabbing caused substantial injuries and had a "devastating effect" on Mr Hayman's life, including anxiety, trauma, disturbed sleep and fear.
“You advanced upon a retreating and unarmed man who repeatably called on you to desist, and then you stabbed him a vicious blow to the abdomen,” Mr Tinney said.
“Your stabbing of Mr Hayman was a long way removed from an action taken in self-defence.”
Mr Tinney said Donnelly, who has spent 640 days in pre-sentence detention and has had no visitors, had used his time on remand "productively", having completed a number of courses and taken part in available drug programs.
Donnelly was sentenced to jail for five years and nine months, with a non-parole period of three years and six months.
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