A Wangaratta woman has been jailed for six years following a “disturbing” crime spree, feeding victims lies of miscarriages, domestic violence and a death of a baby in order to steal from them.

Madison Miller, 30, appeared at the County Koori Court on Friday to hear her sentence after pleading guilty to more than 20 charges related to deceptive burglaries in the Wangaratta and suburban Melbourne areas.

The court heard Miller ransacked a number of homes using lies to gain sympathy from her victims before stealing from them.

On 10 October 2024 Miller approached a man gardening on Rowan Street, telling him she had been kicked out of her home, had a baby and needed to use a toilet.

The man let her inside and after checking his home when she left, he realised jewellery and two car keys had been stolen.

Miller then went to a Green Street home asking to use a phone, saying her car had been stolen.

She would then steal $4400 worth of items including a laptop, jewellery and a Garmin watch from the couple.

Early the next morning Miller jumped a fence of a Murdoch Road home, asking the resident for their keys and told them someone had a knife to her baby’s throat.

She stole a range of power tools from the property.

A day prior, Miller approached a victim armed with a knife and told her that her baby had just passed away in her backyard.

She held the knife to the victim and threatened her before stealing her car.

Miller armed herself with nail scissors in another incident which led to an altercation after entering a home asking for water.

She stole car keys and purse items after telling the victim bikies were out to get her and she was having a miscarriage, urging the victim not to call police.

In another incident in Maribyrnong, Miller impersonated a police officer waking up a victim sleeping in their car.

She claimed he needed to undertake a drug test in a nearby hospital.

As the man went into the hospital to enquire about a drug test, Miller drove off in his car.

Miller would be arrested on 11 October 2024 before making bail in November.

Upon release she committed further thefts in the Melbourne area and would be taken back into custody on 4 December, 2024, where she has remained since.

The court heard Miller had a troubled upbringing and drug use had been closely linked with her deceptive conduct.

Following re-sentencing of similar offending in the Magistrates’ Court, Miller was given six years and two-months jail with four years non-parole.

Judge Scott Johns said Miller’s “disturbing” conduct showed a complete disregard for human conscience.

“To put it simply you need to be stopped from engaging in this terrible offending,” he said.

Miller also had her driver’s licence disqualified for two years and six months.