A jail sentence with a minimum of four months was "kindly", a judge has warned a jewellery and car thief.
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Leroy Kirby, 26, appeared in Wodonga County Court this week to appeal his jail sentence, which had a maximum of 12 months.
He broke into one car in Mildura in May and 11 cars in Wodonga between September 20 and 23, looking for cash and cards to fund his drug habit.
But then he found $10,000 worth of pearls, rings and other jewellery in the boot of a Kia sedan parked at a Victoria Cross Parade home.
In the owner's victim impact statement, she explained they included family heirlooms - such as her grandmother's wedding ring - she planned to pass down to her daughter. Only one item has been returned.
On another occasion Kirby found the keys left in a Holden ute parked in the driveway of an Eagle Court home and drove the car away at 3.30am.
When he was spotted by police on Lawrence Street a short time later, he jumped out of the ute while it was still rolling and fled on foot.
Police caught Kirby after he used his email address to buy an Xbox game with a stolen credit card and was seen on CCTV buying $95 worth of cigarettes with another stolen card.
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He was arrested on September 24 after police found some of the stolen cards in his Wodonga home.
Kirby sat with his head in his hands in court this week while the appeal took place.
The hearing had been delayed for a day, to allow his partner of seven years to attend, but lawyers were unable to get in touch with her.
Judge Christopher Ryan said he was concerned Kirby had been "running amok in Wodonga" while serving an intensive corrections order imposed by the NSW courts earlier in the year for drug trafficking.
He said the stolen cash appeared to be used for drugs and items that were "nothing in particular", but the theft of jewellery was "a crime of a different colour".
"I can't see anything wrong with the sentence of the Magistrates Court," Judge Ryan said.
"You've got a really good result. You'll have to do your time and get out when you can."
Kirby's defence barrister Allan Marshall said his client was a father of three who had been introduced to the drug ice a few years ago by friends.
"He was unable to resist the lure and that's why he started going out at night without the knowledge of his partner," he said.
Mr Marshall agreed to abandon Kirby's appeal and it was struck out.