A Melbourne man who has spent nearly 200 days in custody after a theft spree down the Hume Freeway has been given a final chance to engage with court orders.

The 25-year-old New Zealand native appeared at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court for his plea hearing last week.

The court heard he had spent the last 193 days behind bars since he was tackled to the ground resisting arrest at Wallan BP on the morning of 12 July, 2025.

About 3:45am that morning it’s believed two co-accused broke into a Pelican Court, Wangaratta home while the occupants were sleeping and stole a handbag with two bank cards, a phone and two cars.

Throughout the morning, the accused would be caught either driving or in the passenger seat of the stolen utility at service stations in Wangaratta and along the Hume Freeway towards Melbourne.

He would use the stolen bank cards to pay for $700 worth of fuel and items and steal $170 worth of items without paying.

The defendant fled the Broadford service station when he was questioned by staff about taking items.

At Wallan, police identified the accused and were aware of his prior offending and approached him.

He attempted to flee, but was taken to ground by officers and arrested despite resistance.

The stolen items were found inside the stolen utility, along with small quantities of methylamphetamine, cannabis, GHB and knives.

In an interview at Seymour Police Station, the accused did not give up the identities of the co-accused and they remain at large.

The 25-year-old was not charged with breaking into the Wangaratta home or stealing the items from the home.

Defence counsel Simon O’Halloran said his client spiralled into drug addiction after a domestic violence incident which ended the relationship with the mother of his newborn daughter.

The court heard during an argument with his pregnant partner on 3 May, 2025, the accused threw a phone charger at the victim and pulled her to the ground by her jumper.

He would drag her across the floor pulling the hood of the jumper until he was stopped by a third-party.

Following the incident, Mr O’Halloran said his client became homeless and began associating with his co-accused.

The 25-year-old’s partner has since given birth to his daughter, who Mr O’Halloran said provided inspiration for his client to pursue rehab.

Magistrate Amina Bhai raised doubts about the 25-year-old’s commitment to rehab, having refused to comply with three previous court orders for similar dishonest and drug-based offending.

Mr O’Halloran sought release from custody for his client and proposed he lived with an aunty in Melbourne.

Magistrate Bhai adjourned the matter to hear evidence from the man’s aunty and consider bailing him on 30 January at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on a deferred sentence, involving a community corrections order.

“It’s either going to prove to me you can engage with corrections, or you can’t,” she said.

“If it shows me that you can’t make that commitment, you will be looking at further time of imprisonment.”