Margot Priday was enjoying her retirement when a drug-addled family friend smashed through her garage door, pushed her to the ground and launched a violent attack.
Sam Einfeld's life had a promising start as he did well at school, studied law and was elected to Waverley council in Sydney's prestigious eastern suburbs.
However, after being given Ritalin by a friend, the 45-year-old spiralled into addiction, seeking out stimulants through doctor's prescriptions and sources on the street, a court has been told.
His mental chaos culminated in the attack on Ms Priday on April 23, 2022, as he threw a pot at her car before chasing his long-time family friend, grabbing her arm and pulling her to the floor.
He kicked her numerous times and trod on her hand, crown prosecutor Rebecca Stefani told Sydney's Downing Centre District Court on Thursday.
In a victim impact statement read by her daughter Polly at the sentence hearing, Ms Priday described how she was now fearful both outside and when at home after the attack.
"My life changed forever when Sam committed a violent, senseless and unprovoked crime against me," the 82-year-old wrote.
She recalled that Einfeld only fled when he heard sirens, wondering what would have happened if they had not arrived.
"Would you have stopped or would I be dead?” she asked.
As well as her physical injuries and financial costs, Ms Priday said she was psychologically affected and eventually had to sell her home as she could not live in the same place she had been assaulted.
Einfeld took the witness stand, giving evidence about his remorse over the "horrible thing" that he did.
"I can never forgive myself for what I did and I am sorry," he said through tears.
Under cross-examination by Ms Stefani, he admitted he had continued to abuse prescription drugs despite being convicted for assault in 2018 and having further assault charges dealt with on mental health grounds in 2019.
He said he had not connected his use of the drugs with his inability to manage his anger or make proper decisions.
The court heard that Einfeld had been in custody for almost eight months already before being released under onerous bail conditions.
These conditions meant he had been unable to be with his mother when she passed away in an old-age home on Monday.
He told his barrister Rebecca McMahon that he would no longer abuse stimulants after completing 18 months in rehab because he now wanted to have a fulfilling life, helping others.
"I want to live a life that Mum would have been proud of," he said.
Ms McMahon said her client should be immediately released from custody on parole or serve his jail time in the community.
Not only was he remorseful and had worked to rid himself of his drug addition but he had also pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated break & enter and one count of destroying property at an early stage, she said.
She rejected crown submissions that he would have appreciated he was unravelling but chose to do nothing about it.
"Addiction is complex. He was using. How does someone with an irrational mind make rational decisions?” she asked.
Judge Jennie Girdham will sentence Einfeld on September 13.
