Albury men Dylan Crichton, 21, and Daniel Morton, 23, appeared in Wodonga court yesterday on more than 20 charges between them.

They were arrested on Monday over the theft of three digital televisions from Aldi in Wodonga.

The pair loaded the televisions into a trolley and hit an emergency exit button to leave the store, Wodonga court was told yesterday.

They were nabbed soon after.

On Tuesday night, both became aggressive and abusive in their cells, kicking and punching the doors and spitting at police.

Police had to remove a mattress from Morton’s cell after he tore it apart.

The court heard that Crichton’s outburst was sparked by a doctor’s refusal to issue him a script for a morphine patch after he had already used his daily allocation.

Solicitor Mario Vaccarro said Crichton had been melting the morphine patches down and injecting them.

He stole alcohol and other items to support his drug habit.

The court was told that about 8pm on December 16, Crichton and Morton went to First Choice in Wodonga and stole spirits valued at $294.

On October 24, they were in a car at a Hungry Jacks restaurant near Seymour when another car pulled in next to them, nudging a metal bollard.

Crichton and Morton asked whether the driver was OK but it developed into an argument.

Morton got a tomahawk out of his car and started waving it above his head.

Crichton armed himself with a knife, the court was told.

The pair’s number plate was reported to police and they were arrested.

Yesterday, Mr Vaccarro, and Greg Duncan, for Morton, argued that it was the victim that started the argument.

“It was the victim that became aggressive after they made polite inquiries,” Mr Duncan said.

The court was told that Morton was on parole for armed robbery when the latest offences occurred, while Crichton was in breach of a community-based order.

Magistrate Susan Armour remanded the pair in custody for sentencing on January 10.