A Melbourne man has been sentenced to five years prison for a series of assaults in one of the city’s premier entertainment districts last year, including one that left an elderly grandmother unconscious outside a church where she volunteered.

Amrick Roy, 27, pleaded guilty in the County Court of Victoria on October 14 to the violent assault of Penelope Katsavos, 79, and three earlier assaults during a period in which his defence submitted he was “fully psychotic”, partially as a consequence of his use of synthetic cannabis.

In sentencing Roy in the County Court on Friday, Judge John Carmody said the man had left Ms Katsavos to a life of “sadness, loneliness and pain” and the victim was no longer able to do many of the things she loved, such as Greek cooking, and had been forced to place her own husband, who experiences dementia, in care.

The court was told about 6am on March 13, 2021, Roy, then 26, assaulted Ms Katsavos at the Sts Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in South Yarra, where the grandmother, then 78, volunteered.

Ms Katsavos, who was found by council workers at about 6.30am before she was taken to The Alfred Hospital, incurred multiple brain bleeds, a fractured hip and a fractured wrist.

The court was told Roy had tried to take possession of Ms Katsavos’ shopping trolley, which contained food and $900 in cash, as she was opening the doors of the church. He punched her in the right side of her head when she resisted him.

She fell and hit her head, leaving her unconscious, and Roy took the trolley before later dumping it without taking anything.

Roy, who had been drinking heavily at Revolver Upstairs nightclub on Prahan’s Chapel St before the assault, pleaded guilty to five charges, including recklessly causing injury, robbery and assault.

In her victim impact statement previously read to the court, Ms Katsavos said she forgave Roy and hoped he could learn to be a good person.

“I forgive you for what you have done to me,” her victim impact statement, extracts of which were read out by Judge Carmody, said.

“My only hope is that somehow you will learn to be a better person.

“I will continue to walk through life with love and strength.”

Judge Carmody said Ms Katsavos had exhibited “grace and wisdom”.

The court was told that Roy, who lived in Box Hill prior to his arrest, had ceased treatment for schizophrenia in January 2021.

Roy’s lawyer, Danielle Lamovie, said the evidence of forensic psychologist Nina Zimmerman supported the contention he was experiencing a psychotic episode during the offending.

But Ms Zimmerman previously told the court she did not believe Roy met the threshold for the mental impairment defence.

Roy did his schooling at Haileybury, before studying a science degree at Deakin University and working at Woolworths, the court was told.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of assault, one count of recklessly causing serious injury and robbery.

Mr Carmody fixed a non-parole period of three years and six months for Roy, who has been in custody for 582 days.

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