A heroin addict accused of stealing to fund his drug habit faces a jail term.
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James Cloke, 31, allegedly committed the crimes in Ballarat and Ballan between March and June this year.
Before pleading guilty to the offences, Cloke sought a sentence indication from the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
He did not want to plead guilty to an assault charge over allegedly taking $500 from a woman’s hands after she had been to an ATM at Chadstone.
The court was told Cloke’s other alleged offending included fuel thefts, drug-driving and unlicensed driving, to which he would admit.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Helen Farmer told the court the fuel thefts occurred numerous times at a Ballan service station and once at a Buninyong service station.
They allegedly ranged from $80 to $15, the court was told.
Senior Constable Farmer said sometime during May a lawnmower worth $700 was stolen from a Havelock Street property.
She said police discovered the accused sold the lawnmower, later telling them he sold it to buy heroin.
Cloke was allegedly driving along Grevillea Road, Wendouree, on June 22, 2017, when police stopped him.
An oral fluid test allegedly detected an illicit drug.
The court was told Cloke had been using heroin from 15-years-of-age and started offending in 2003 when he was 19.
But the father-of-one managed to gain employment and buy a house. He also has strong family support, the court was told.
Cloke will be assessed for a community corrections order and return to court on Thursday. Magistrate Ron Saines told Cloke he would not be released immediately from jail.