Vigilante SA father slashed man's Achilles

A father was seeking "vigilante justice" when he slashed the Achilles tendons of a man he believed had sexually assaulted his daughter, a court has heard.

The father, who cannot be named, allegedly bashed and stabbed the man before leaving him for dead in country South Australia in October last year.

"This is one of the most serious examples of the courts seeing, if you like, vigilante justice," Judge Rosemary Davey told the District Court in Adelaide on Tuesday.

"This isn't a single punch thrown in a pub with a bloodied nose.

"This man was left for dead, naked and seriously injured.

"His Achilles tendons appear to be cut in some way. (He) was stabbed to the neck, he was stabbed to the abdomen and stabbed to the chest."

The father has pleaded guilty to an aggravated offence of causing serious harm.

In sentencing submissions, the court heard he and a co-accused drove the victim to an isolated area near Meningie, southeast of Adelaide, before he was attacked.

The defence has argued that the father lost control and attacked the victim, who may have an intellectual ability, after discovering he had sexually abused his daughter.

But prosecutors argue that it was a premeditated revenge attack.

Judge Davey condemned the father's actions, saying that this kind of vigilante behaviour puts the community in danger.

"Unfortunately there are many people who are victims of child sexual abuse," she said.

"It's vital to the security and safety of our community that vigilante justice cannot prevail."

The case has been adjourned until July 13.