A Gapsted man has been jailed for one year and eight months after pleading guilty to a large consolidation of charges involving stolen cars, drugs and driving while unlicensed.

Alexander Brown appeared in Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court via Webex on Monday 20 July, where Magistrate Ian Watkins imposed an aggregate sentence with a non-parole period of 12 months.

The court heard Mr Brown had already spent 368 days in pre-sentence detention, which was declared as time served.

Police told the court the offending included incidents involving vehicles with stolen or false plates, drugs including methylamphetamine, MDMA, GHB and 1,4-butanediol, stolen tools and firearm-related items.

The charges arose from a series of police investigations and searches in Wangaratta, Myrtleford and Gapsted, including a July incident at the Co Store carpark complex in Wangaratta that had previously been before the court in May.

In that matter, police alleged Mr Brown fled from a vehicle in the carpark after detectives approached it, with drugs, a silver revolver and drug paraphernalia found inside the vehicle.

The court also heard police found stolen vehicles and plates during separate searches, and that Mr Brown was unlicensed during driving incidents put before the court.

Defence counsel Geoff Clancy told the court drugs had been an ongoing issue for Mr Brown and featured in all of his offending.

Mr Clancy said Mr Brown had experienced a difficult upbringing, had entered a guilty plea and had said he wanted to straighten his life out.

Magistrate Watkins said drug use had been the catalyst for Mr Brown’s offending, but said he had failed to take previous opportunities to address it.

“If you don’t want to spend the rest of your life in jail, then you need to deal with it,” he said.

“You are the one who needs to step up.”

Magistrate Watkins said stealing cars was something the community was growing tired of.

Mr Brown’s licence was disqualified for two years.