Tyrone Greystone, 22, faced the Wodonga Magistrates Court on Wednesday following the incident on April 22 last year.

He had been drinking at a friend's house and went to a vacant home on McEachern Court about 8.40pm.

He walked through the house, into a backyard, and looked over a fence into the neighbouring property.

Greystone donned black gloves and jumped the fence before checking out sheds.

He removed a window and entered the building - believing the resident was home - and rummaged through the house.

IN OTHER NEWS:

He filled his pockets with jewellery, unaware security cameras were livestreaming his offending.

The occupant had died two days earlier and a relative watched and called police as Greystone scoured the home.

He tried to damage the cameras when he spotted them and ran when police arrived.

He was arrested on Ritter Road and later told officers he hadn't planned the incident, despite coming armed with gloves and a torch.

Greystone spent 23 days in custody following the incident and on other charges, some of which were dropped.

"It's a particularly low thing to go into anybody's house and rummage through and steal their property," magistrate Ian Watkins said.

"When the owner has died ... your culpability is even higher.

"I don't accept it was a spontaneous incident - as the prosecutor points out, you went there armed with gloves."

Greystone has since found work as a bricklayer.

Mr Watkins said he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the offending but had good prospects.

Given the time Greystone has already served, including on charges which were dropped, he placed him on an adjourned undertaking to be of good behaviour.