Shane O'Brien - who used to live in Albury and Tallangatta - had had about 16 beers and half a bottle of bourbon before the attack on July 7 last year.

He was armed with a sledgehammer and another person had a .22 rifle during the incident in the Melbourne suburb of Kurunjang, while a third waited as a lookout driver.

The 37-year-old was recently jailed for 20 months for the incident.

The Melbourne County Court heard O'Brien and his partner had discussed moving back to Tallangatta once the prison term finishes.

Judge James Parrish noted the seriousness of the attack when handing down his sentence.

"It is hard to imagine how frightening it would have been for people confronted by you and your co-offender that night when there's a sledgehammer and a rifle and you have got your faces partially covered," he said.

The pair had attended the property about 10pm in an apparent bid to steal ice and cash, but were told by one of the victims they had the wrong home.

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O'Brien smashed a security door with the sledgehammer, causing it buckle.

He broke his way into a woman's bedroom with the co-offender.

The co-offender pointed the rifle at the woman as they tried to steal a motorbike.

The woman pushed the gun away.

She later told police O'Brien had a look come over him suggesting he was "getting in over (his) head".

The getaway driver fled the scene in O'Brien's car, which was rammed.

O'Brien was found near the home by police, trying to hide the sledgehammer and gun, and has been in custody since.