A North East man has been jailed after a magistrate described summaries of his offending as “horrific” and warned him he faced a “revolving door” of custody if he did not make better choices.

James Corboy, 33, appeared before Magistrate Megan Casey on Friday 17 July at Wangaratta Magistrates Court, and pleaded guilty to more than 10 charges, including theft of a motor vehicle, stealing items and driving while disqualified.

The court heard one incident involved a Ford Territory stolen from a home address in Bright on 13 June, 2025, after a victim was woken by a disturbance and spoke to an unknown man.

Police were later called to a welfare check in Wangaratta, where they found a man sleeping in a car.

Officers had difficulty rousing him, and paramedics checked him before he was taken to Wangaratta Police Station.

The court heard the vehicle’s windows were open, there was no key in the car and police found number plates in the back seat.

Police said a false plate on the front of the car was homemade.

Corboy’s licence had been disqualified on 10 May, 2024.

In another matter, the court heard a silver Lexus SUV with cloned plates attended BP North in Brighton East.

Police reviewed CCTV footage showing Corboy leave the driver’s seat and enter the service station to pay after a co-accused got out of the passenger seat to fill the car with fuel.

On 6 July 2025, police discovered the silver Lexus with cloned plates, with the interior damaged by fire.

Officers attended the following day and took photographs.

Corboy was arrested by police on November 25 after being followed by officers.

He had been in custody since November 2025.

The court also heard of driving that involved speeds exceeding 140km/h, failing to stop at multiple red lights and refusing a fluid test.

The prosecution said the offending posed a serious risk to the community.

Defence counsel Geoff Clancy told the court his client was born and raised in the local area and had been exposed to domestic violence and drug use.

He said Corboy had worked as a labourer, identified as Aboriginal through his father’s side and had a five-year-old son in the care of his mother in Myrtleford.

Mr Clancy said his client wanted to be a father and, on release, planned to live in Melbourne and seek employment.

He said Corboy was well known to police and associated with people in the area, but did not want those criminal associations to continue.

Magistrate Casey said both matters involving offending while on bail were “outrageous” and the summaries were "horrific".

“I accept that there has been some matters from your childhood that have contributed to where you are now,” she said.

“But you still have a choice every day about what you do, who you see and what you put in your body.

“You need to start making better choices, or you will continue on this revolving door of custody and won’t be a present father to your child.”

Corboy was sentenced to an aggregate term of two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 12 months.

He had already served 242 days in custody.

He was also disqualified from driving in Victoria for six years.