A MELBOURNE man who stabbed three people while surrounded during a fight in the CBD used excessive self-defence, a judge says.

Cory Bricker flashed a knife he was carrying after seeing a group of people fighting near the Crazy Horse adult cinema in Elizabeth St in the early hours of June 24, 2008.

He soon found himself surrounded by the group, the Victorian County Court heard.

A fight began and Bricker was punched. As he tried to defend himself he stabbed Daniel Langman and 19-year-old Hope Walter.

Both required hospital treatment, with Ms Walter suffering lacerations to her abdomen and cheek and a wound to her forearm that required surgery.

Bricker fled the fight and was chased by two men to the kitchen of a nearby Subway restaurant.

One of the men threw drink bottles at Bricker and yelled at him that he had stabbed his friend.

Bricker stabbed the man, causing him cuts, the court heard.

Bricker today was sentenced to 236 days in prison, the amount of time he had already served.

Judge Gabriele Cannon said Bricker used the knife in excessive self-defence against a number of aggressive people.

"You were faced with a group greatly outnumbering you, that seemed to be intent on confronting you,'' she said.

"The conduct in which you engaged was excessive self-defence.''

Judge Cannon said Bricker might well have had a viable defence and had spared the community time and money through his guilty plea.

Bricker, 40, of Sunshine, pleaded guilty to two counts of recklessly causing serious injury and one count of recklessly causing injury.

He had been convicted of carrying a knife in 2006, the court heard.

Prosecutors did not submit that Bricker should serve any further jail time.