James Alan Nunn, 22, was arrested and appeared at court on Thursday, after police appealed for public assistance to locate him while wanted on warrant.

Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Steve Kent said police called an ambulance after they found Nunn passed out in the drivers' seat of his car at the intersection in January 2021.

Officers found a large blade and GHB in the car, removed the keys from the ignition and woke Nunn, who then made attempts to drive away despite not having keys.

The ambulance arrived, treated Nunn and a friend approached police saying she was concerned for Nunn as he had used a lot of GHB.

The court heard Nunn was on bail at the time with conditions not to use drugs or drive a car and he did not have a drivers' licence.

Nunn had been granted bail after earlier offending in October and November 2020, committed shortly after he was released from serving a term of imprisonment.

He was forensically linked to stolen number plates and linked to the theft of five stolen cars.

On December 23 2020, Nunn was a passenger in a stolen car that was driven erratically on the Western Highway and through Ballarat residential areas for two hours while pursued by police.

Nunn was found in possession of methamphetamine when he was arrested.

The court heard police saw Nunn driving stolen cars in November 2020 and January 2021.

He was captured on CCTV footage filling the car with fuel at a service station and driving off without paying twice.

One of the stolen cars he was driving was later found on fire on a dirt track in Redan on July 7, but Nunn has not been charged with arson.

He did not have a drivers' licence during the entire period of offending.

Defence lawyer Nikhil Sood said he conceded Nunn had a 'voluminous' record of offending and had spent three years in prison.

But he submitted the offending before the court represented a de-escalation in his offending behaviour.

Mr Sood said Nunn did well on the Court Integrated Support Program while on bail and did not commit any offending between January and July.

He said there were other positives to note.

"There are no allegations he stole the vehicles and he is charged with theft based on driving them," he said.

"He is a young man and does have strong prospects of rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is key because of his youth."

Leading Senior Constable Kent said the offending was serious and affected a number of victims who had their cars stolen.

"It is a continuation of offending. The merry-go-round of offending is up to him, it is his choice," he said.

Magistrate Tim Walsh gave a sentence indication of five months' imprisonment followed by a two-year community corrections order, which Nunn accepted.

He will be assessed for a community corrections order and sentenced in August.

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