A drug user made a homeless man his cleaning slave, beat him with a meat cleaver and indecently assaulted him in a "sustained and cruel attack", a Northern Territory judge says.
Matthew James Warford, 28, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for his "intimidating and violent behaviour".
Justice Sally Thomas told the NT Supreme Court in Darwin the father of one from Nightcliff had deprived 20-year-old homeless man Alain Robaye of his liberty for four days in July last year.
Warford threatened to cut off Mr Robaye's fingers or feet or behead him if he escaped.
"It was a long time for Alain Robaye to be held in fear and under threat of injury," Justice Thomas said.
"(He) was fearful of his safety and frightened to leave."
Justice Thomas said Mr Robaye was forced to carry out "heavy cleaning" in and around the house - secured with padlocks and a high fence - by Warford, who believed the itinerant owed him money.
On the night of July 3, after smoking pot, drinking alcohol and injecting speed, Warford assaulted Mr Robaye three times.
He threatened to rape him and indecently assaulted him once.
The court heard Warford punched Mr Robaye in the face, leaving him bleeding from the nose and mouth. He then followed him into a bathroom, grabbed his head from behind and smashed his face into a mirror.
"The third assault happened in the bedroom with the use of an extendable baton and a meat cleaver," Justice Thomas said.
"Matthew Warford pulled down his own shorts .... and attempted to remove Alain Robaye's... It was a sustained and cruel attack."
Witnesses in the house heard his "high-pitched screams", earlier court hearings were told, and the itinerant was eventually rescued by police about 4am on July 4, when one of them called an ambulance.
Before sentencing him to five years in prison with a non-parole period of two years and six months, Justice Thomas said Warford was "still young enough to make something of his life".
Warford had earlier pleaded guilty to one account of assault and possessing dangerous drugs, for which he was fined $500.
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