Wife attacker says Aus men have 'no power'

A man who hacked his estranged wife 24 times with a hatchet at a Melbourne beauty parlour claims men in Australia have "no power" and "ladies always win".

The attacker, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury to the woman at a beauty parlour at Fountain Gate Shopping Centre on March 27.

He struck her 24 times with the small axe, wounding her face, arms and legs and causing her permanent scarring.

At one point the axe became stuck in the woman's skull, requiring the man to wrench it out.

The man was originally charged with attempted murder but this was dropped when he pleaded guilty to the lesser offence in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

The woman said her husband was a violent and jealous drunk.

He claims his actions were motivated by his wife's "affairs" with another man.

The man penned a letter to the High Court, saying men have "no power at all" in Australia and "ladies always win the game".

"I didn't expect to harm my wife at all but ... double crossing - having affairs in my presence - led to this situation," he wrote.

"The system crippled me (by) giving more power to ladies."

The man was remanded in custody to face a plea hearing on January 29.

National domestic violence helpline: 1800 737 732 or 1800RESPECT. In an emergency call triple-zero.