A Ballarat thief who broke into a string of cars at a Creswick resort and along a Daylesford road has been jailed for six months.
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Alec Wendon, 22, pleaded guilty to more than 20 charges in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Tuesday, including car theft, careless driving and attempting to steal from cars.
The prosecutor, senior police lawyer Jenna Bridges said the man was ejected from the Sebel Creswick Forest Resort on April 16 this year after "complaints from the resort guests he was harassing them for cigarettes".
Wendon then gained entry to a 2015 Audi QV, a 2006 Ford Focus, a 2012 Kia wagon, stealing $10 worth of coins. He also tried to break into a unit at the resort.
At 11.30pm the accused attended a Central Springs Road address in Daylesford and gained entry to a 2005 Holden hatch.
A short time later he went to another property, breaking into a 1992 Toyota Hilux.
He then broke into two different Volkswagons. Wendon entered a bungalow at another Daylesford house and stole coins and ID cards.
An off-duty police officer located Wendon in the car park at the Farmers Arms Art Motel with $777.40 worth of coins in his backpack.
Ms Bridges told the court the man attended a Hoppers Crossing property on April 15 at 5pm and entered through a kitchen window, rummaging through the home and finding keys to a gold Holden Commodore. Wendon's blood was found throughout the property.
After stealing the car and reversing into a side fence, the man "collided with the rear of a parked vehicle", a Holden Vectra, which was irreversibly damaged.
When interviewed, Wendon told the police he drove carelessly because he "skidded over a bump ... the car was a little bit dodgy".
Defence lawyer David Tamanika said it was a "concerning set of priors" for someone his age, with his client taking methylamphetamine from the age of 15.
"For a person who is only 22 , he's spent a considerable time in custody for one thing or another," he said.
He noted his client's "mental health difficulties" which need to be addressed.
Magistrate Daniel Muling told the court Wendon was clearly caught in a "vicious cycle", considering his significant prior history, and needed support after jail.
"Straight off the bat, Mr Wendon was never going to be released from custody today," Magistrate Muling said.
"This is a revolving door: you go out, you get back on drugs, you reoffend and go back into custody.
"There needs to be an opportunity for a circuit breaker."
Wendon was convicted and sentenced to six months jail, after serving 118 days in pre-sentence detention, with a 12 month community corrections order.
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