Zane Andrew Henderson, 21, appeared in the Launceston Supreme Court on Thursday, having pleaded guilty to the assault charge against him.

The court heard details of how Henderson and three other males assaulted a woman at a Ravenswood unit in 2014, over a $100 debt allegedly owed to Savannah Jade Harwood, who lived at the property.

During the assault, which lasted “several hours”, the victim was punched, kicked, burnt with cigarettes and threatened.

Forcing her to eat pet food, Henderson told the victim “if you want to act like a dog, I’m going to treat you like a dog”.

The men also used head lice treatment on her hair to “get rid of her fleas”.

Crown prosecutor Peter Sherriff said the victim had been told repeatedly by Henderson that she “would be digging her own grave in the bush”.

All five defendents were put on trial last year, however, the trial was thrown out after one of the accused allegedly threatened a juror. 

Two of the accused, Jay Ashley Whatley and Coby Wells, were re-trialed and sentenced to 18 months in prison in April this year. 

An unnamed man, who was a youth at the time of the offences, was not proceeded against.

During Thursday’s sitting, Henderson’s defence lawyer Alan Hensley told the court his client had an “incredibly difficult life” and became addicted to drugs at the age of 11 and was homeless at 13.

Mr Hensley reiterated the fact that the assaults had been a “joint enterprise” and pushed for a comparative sentence for his client. 

Justice Shan Tennent said, however, the facts she had heard suggested Henderson had played a “more significant role” in the assault, which she described as “vicious violence” carried out “for absolutely no reason”.

Henderson has already served 92 days in prison and was remanded in custody until his next appearance in the Launceston Supreme Court on July 6 – when he is due to be sentenced.