A man who rammed another driver in Beechworth's main street and reversed into a person outside the town's supermarket has told a magistrate his actions were out of character.
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Lucas Martin Brown's demeanour in court this week was in stark contrast to his behaviour in the town earlier this year and late last year.
The Wodonga Magistrates Court heard he had been "out of control".
The 39-year-old was on a significant crime spree and injecting ice when he sped at a man outside IGA on March 24, braking just before his vehicle hit him in the stomach.
Brown had driven a Great Wall utility to the supermarket and had a dispute with a man inside.
After leaving through the wrong exit in the vehicle, the 39-year-old erratically reversed up a footpath, hitting the victim in the stomach, and spun his wheels as he left.
The victim had been forced to take evasive action and later told police he thought he was going to be crushed.
Brown had crashed a Holden Commodore into the back of another vehicle in the town's main street on August 5 last year, pushing the car towards pedestrians and oncoming traffic.
The court heard he didn't get on with the victim, who reported the matter to police after it occurred.
The vehicle Brown had been driving was found at Everton the day after the incident with paint from the vehicle he had struck.
Brown pleaded guilty this week to a string of charges, including a plethora of car and number plate thefts, drug-driving, and other traffic offences.
"It could have easily been vastly different," magistrate Ian Watkins said of the ramming.
Brown, who has been in custody since his arrest on March 27 after stealing a quad bike, said he wasn't normally like that.
"I regret all of my offending," he said.
"It's not in my character to be doing things like this.
"As you said, I was out of control.
"I've got no intentions at all in going back to drugs."
Lawyer Mario Vaccaro said while most users smoked ice, Brown had been injecting.
"It was a fairly rapid addiction, your honour," he said.
Syringes were found in multiple vehicles Brown had been driving.
He had been caught at Myrtleford near a black Holden ute in January, which had been stolen from Albury on New Year's Eve, with a large knife found inside.
He also stole multiple cars from a Myrtleford towing business on March 4 or 5.
Family members say the 39-year-old is "very pleasant" when off drugs, Mr Vaccaro said.
Magistrate Ian Watkins ordered a report, noting it was "really serious offending", with the matter to return to court on June 30.
