Teen jailed over home invasion that traumatised Melbourne family

Last August, Kai Li and his family were jolted awake just before 4am.

Intruders had jumped the fence and were using garden shears to smash a downstairs window.

Seconds later, Mr Li was face-to-face with five of the masked group.

Some were armed with machetes, and the Children's Court later heard they had no hesitation in using them.

During the aggravated home invasion, Mr Li fought desperately to protect two children, his wife, his grandparents and a nanny inside.

Mr Li's wife and grandparents were assaulted but Mr Li's injuries were the most severe. 

He was stabbed 11 times in the face and upper body before the intruders allegedly stole the family car and fled the Kew home.

Mr Li was left with permanent damage to his eyesight and his family remains traumatised.

Today, one of Mr Li's attackers was jailed for two years and nine months after pleading guilty to aggravated home invasion, assault charges and a raft of other car theft crimes.

Victims' lives changed 'forever'

"What happened to my family has changed our lives forever," Mr Li told the ABC this afternoon.

"I never imagined that something like this could happen in our own home."

Mr Li said his case was emblematic of "weaknesses" in the legal system and called for stricter bail laws and tougher sentences for violent crime.

"I hope both the Australian government and the Victorian government will introduce policies that genuinely improve community safety, so that families like mine do not have to experience this again," he said.

In sentencing the 17-year-old attacker, Judge Jack Vandersteen said the home invasion was a "grave violation".

Not only had the judge considered the police report and Mr Li's victim impact statement, he also viewed footage of the incident which was captured on a baby monitor in the home.

"The screams, the threats, are evident. The fear of the occupants was palpable,"

he said.

"A home should be a place of safety."

Prosecutors did not allege the 17-year-old directly caused Mr Li's injuries but argued he was part of the broader plot to storm the home.

The teenager said he had taken drugs and alcohol before the attack and said the incident remained "a bit of a blur".

He had written an apology letter, committed himself to reform while in youth detention and had the support of his family and church community, the court heard.

Invasion occurred before new laws passed

The aggravated home invasion occurred before Victoria's "Adult time for Violent Crime" laws were passed.

It meant the case was not automatically transferred to the County Court, where judges have the power to impose the same sentences on children as they do for adults.

Under the new regime, a child guilty of aggravated home invasion could be sentenced to life in prison by the County Court, however the judges have not yet come close to imposing such a devastating sentence.

The maximum penalty the Children's Court can set is four years in youth detention.

Mr Li said he was grateful to the local police officers who handled his case, and said politicians needed to tackle the issue of repeat violent youth offenders.

"What families need is not symbolic measures, but policies that actually address the problem and give ordinary residents a greater sense of safety in their own communities," he said.

Two others charged with breaking into Mr Li's home remain before the courts.