A recidivist young criminal who began living on the streets at 13 has been jailed for attacking another prisoner.
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Max Lunardi-Leahy, magistrate Imad Abdul-Karim said on Friday in sentencing him, punched the victim to the face and neck area "numerous times".
The assault resulted in the victim having to undergo hospital scans for internal injuries.
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Lunardi-Leahy pleaded guilty to a single charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm over the incident in Junee jail, from where he appeared via a video link to Albury Local Court.
Defence lawyer Dominic Holles outlined to the court a history of deprivation and violence that had set-up Lunardi-Leahy for his own repeat offending.
Mr Holles said Lunardi-Leahy was taken into care at the age of six.
That was as the result of being repeatedly assaulted by his stepfather.
Mr Holles said his client became homeless at 13 and was using illicit drugs by 14.
"Unfortunately, by that stage the damage was done," he said.
Mr Abdul-Karim said the criminality involved in the assault on the other prisoner was just below the mid-range for seriousness.
He said he accepted that Lunardi-Leahy's moral culpability was reduced by the difficulties in his upbringing, as outlined by Mr Holles, along with his risk of becoming institutionalised.
But Mr Abdul-Karim said the relevance of this would diminish if Lunardi-Leahy continued to offend.
"You have had a very difficult and unenviable upbringing," he said.
"But you're at a stage in your life where you have to take responsibility for your actions."
Mr Abdul-Karim told Lunardi-Leahy, who is awaiting other matters before the District Court, that he alone was the only person who could effect such a positive change in his life.
Lunardi-Leahy was sentenced to an eight-month jail term, backdated to March 8.
Mr Abdul-Karim set a non-parole period of four months.