The gym buddy who helped his friend assault a man who owed a debt has been spared the same jail sentence as his co-offender.
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Sedat Ciftci, 26, was recruited as one of four men who travelled from Shepparton to Wangaratta to confront the victim in the street during the day on April 20, 2019.
The other three men punched, kicked and pushed the victim's head into the concrete footpath as he lay in the foetal position.
Ciftci's role was in the car - he drove up to the victim and opened the door while the others tried to drag the victim inside, but the man got away and sought refuge in a nearby house.
He appeared in the County Court this week to be sentenced after pleading guilty to attempted kidnapping and intentionally causing injury.
Judge Carolene Gwynn said it was a "a savage and brutal attack".
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"It is perhaps trite to say that this is serious offending.
"Your willingness to be involved is somewhat difficult to understand and appears to be a situation of misplaced loyalty to an old friendship."
She sentenced Ciftci to a 20-month community corrections order, with 150 hours of unpaid work and drug treatment.
The court heard he had a methamphetamine problem between the age of 18 and 24, before going to rehabilitation.
"It was not your issue, you should never have been involved. Four on one automatically places (the victim) at a disadvantage as does the fact that he was caught by surprise and had limited, if any, ability to defend himself," Judge Gwynn said.
"I accept that you did play a lesser role.
"You were co-opted in close proximity, time-wise, for the trip to Wangaratta and were not involved in any planning.
"Save for moving the car and opening the back door of the car as the co-accused dragged (the victim) towards it, you were not an active participant in what unfolded, particular the assault."
One of the other principal offenders received 18 months in jail, with the others still to be sentenced.