Man jailed over violent bashing, carjacking crime spree

A man who carjacked a police vehicle and left two people with life-threatening injuries during an alcohol-fuelled crime spree has been sentenced to at least 12 years in jail.

Over the space of a few hours on Easter Saturday 2021, Elias Natano was involved in six separate violent incidents in Melbourne that will lead to him spending his entire 30s behind bars.

The then 28-year-old set fire to a chair and hit a woman with his car, causing lasting damage to her physically and mentally.

He then went to the home his brother Madison Natano shared with his young family, stabbing him in the chest and neck before running over Madison's injured body and threatening to kill his wife.

His brother's injuries were so serious a police officer at the scene tried to stop him bleeding out from his gut by pinching his intestines, which had been exposed by the stabbing.

Natano later went to a former neighbour's house and damaged cars at the property before police caught up with him,

He tried to provoke officers into shooting him, carjacked a marked vehicle and took off.

After a chase across the city's north, Natano smashed the stolen BMW into four cars and was finally arrested after a struggle involving a police dog.

The now 30-year-old pleaded guilty to a string of offences including intentionally causing serious injury, arson, threatening to kill and failing to stop and render assistance.

Judge Fran Dalziel described the behaviour as shocking, ruthless and uncaring. 

"Your actions were deliberate, driven by ill will," County Court Judge Dalziel said while sentencing Natano on Friday.

At the time Natano told police he was "the devil's tool for that night" and was not immediately remorseful, but about 18 months later a doctor said he appeared ashamed and full of regret.

The court was previously told Natano grew up in a loving and supportive family in New Zealand and Brisbane, had a strong Christian faith and represented his school at a national speech competition.

However, he developed low self-confidence and became a regular cannabis user from the age of about 17 to cope with feelings of failure and anxiety. 

He would binge alcohol when he couldn't access cannabis and drank about 600ml of whiskey on the day of the crime spree.

Judge Dalziel sentenced Natano to 15 years and three months in jail, with a non-parole period of 12 years.