Holohan hit Sergeant Barlow with a house brick before stealing a number of items from her, including her wallet, handbag, police badge and work shirt and trousers.

"To go from being a completely self sufficient person ... to a person who is unable to do anything for herself, care for her family and work is a very hard situation to be confronted with, let alone the physical and mental scars of the attack," she said.



"I went from being a fit, healthy wife and mother of two small children ... to a person who almost should have died from the horrific injuries I received from the defendant."



Sergeant Barlow said she was in a coma for several days with significant skull and brain injuries after she was "left for dead" by her attacker.



Prior to the attack she had been a "very carefree person", an active surf life saver and committed to protecting and serving the community as a police officer.



"I still find it traumatising accepting I was actually the victim and not someone else," she said, adding that she rarely sleeps and still has "violent nightmares".



"I have been reduced to a person who for the best part of a year was scared to go out in public without my husband as a personal bodyguard.



"I didn't want to go out anywhere by myself because I had a fear of someone attacking me - I felt weak and vulnerable."



Sergeant Barlow said the attack had also strained her relationship with her police officer husband.



Her children had to be put into day care as she underwent rehabilitative surgery and treatments.



"I was unable to lift them or cuddle them due to my broken fingers and splints as well as my dizziness," she said, adding she now suffered short-term memory loss.



"I had little memory of what my house looked like - I felt like a stranger in my own house," she said.

The hearing is continuing.

AAP