The family of an aspiring paramedic who had her eye socket broken by a road-rage driver when he punched her in the head have reacted furiously after he avoided a jail sentence.

Attacker Joshua Burke punched his then 23-year-old victim to the face so hard in the November 2018 incident her eye socket broke in two places.

Joshua Burke arrives at court on Tuesday morning. Credit:AAP

"She could have died and that arsehole in there gets to walk f---ing free today," her father Ed told reporters outside the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

"This sends a very clear message that you can beat women up and you'll get away with it."