A Melbourne man who bashed and robbed an Indian student in an "outrageous", unprovoked attack has been sentenced to three years in youth detention.

Shayne Comensoli, 20, and his friend Lennon Metaxas randomly picked Lucky Singh, who was making a call from a phone box at Sunshine, in Melbourne's west, early on October 15, 2009, and attacked him.

Metaxas hit Mr Singh with a blow so powerful it knocked him to the ground, the Victorian County Court heard today.

Comensoli then grabbed hold of Mr Singh while Metaxas continued to repeatedly punch him in the face and head.

Comensoli then joined in, punching, kneeing and kicking Mr Singh, before leaving him bleeding heavily and unconscious on the ground, the court heard.

During the attack, Comensoli repeatedly said to Singh: "Shut up, you Indian motherf----r".

Comensoli and Metaxas then stole Mr Singh's wallet.

Sentencing Comensoli on today, Judge Meryl Sexton said the attack was very serious and "almost sickening".

"Your behaviour was quite outrageous," she said.

"Mr Singh goes by the first name of Lucky. He is indeed lucky that he was not even more seriously injured."

The court heard that the attack came during a spate of similar offences against Indian students in Melbourne.

Judge Sexton said that while Comensoli hated Mr Singh at the time of the attack, she could not be satisfied the assault was motivated by a hatred of Indian people.

She sentenced Comensoli, formerly of West Sunshine, to three years in a Youth Justice Centre.

Comensoli had pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious injury and robbery.

Non-parole periods are not set for youth detention orders.

Metaxas was handed the same sentence at an earlier court hearing.