Sione Kei was jailed in Wodonga court on Thursday, then released on appeal, following the August 10 incident last year at Rutherglen.

Kei and the victim were part of a group drinking at the Walkabout Motel on Moodemere Street.

The 23-year-old Tongan man and the Fijian victim had been arguing on and off for months in the lead up to the brutal attack.

The court on April 18 heard the pair didn't respect each other's languages and cultures.

They were drunk in the early hours of the morning, and Kei was angry that the victim couldn't understand Tongan.

Kei armed himself with a knife and a machete and the victim fled outside.

The victim tried to get back in when he realised his phone was still inside.

Kei opened the door while armed with the knives before disarming himself, but the pair continued to fight.

Kei grabbed the machete and struck the victim twice to his back, causing two large lacerations and extensive bleeding.

The attacker went back inside with the weapon and didn't provide any help.

The victim was told to stay still amid concerns he had spinal damage, and he was taken to Albury hospital.

Police found the machete underneath Kei's bed.

Crime scene officers found multiple other bloodied items at the crime scene.

Kei was arrested and was interviewed once he had sobered up and claimed it had been his car key that had struck the victim.

"I am very, very sorry and very remorseful," he told Wodonga officers.

The victim has permanent scarring to his lower back.

Ligament and back muscle was exposed and surgery and staples were needed to close the wound.

"(He) was fortunate not to suffer any neurological deficits in the spinal cord," Sergeant Liam Murdock told the court.

Lawyer Chirag Patel said alcohol played a significant role in the incident and his client had since stopped drinking.

"It's only good luck, not good management, that the person is not permanently disabled, if not deceased," magistrate Peter Dunn said.

"The lesson is of course that some people just should not drink."

Mr Patel said there was "no excuse whatsoever" for Kei's actions.

"But to his credit, he's sought assistance and he's working on that," he said.

Mr Dunn noted the victim had been on the ground in a defenceless posture when struck.

"The terror (for) the public, had they witnessed something of this nature, would have just been astronomical," the magistrate said.

"The community expects that people who are going to partake in alcohol act in a certain manner.

"He's a youthful offender.

"Alcohol provides an explanation but not an excuse."

Mr Dunn imposed a jail term of 42 days.

Kei appealed the sentence and was released on bail pending an appearance in the County Court.

An interpreter had appeared in court to explain the outcome to Kei, who speaks limited English.

She fell asleep while appearing on a video link and was unable to translate what had occurred.

Attempts to wake the translator failed.