Zahn Aric Lee-Cains, 37, vowed he was committed to addressing his addiction issues but Judge Kevin Phillips was sceptical.
"I take his desire for rehabilitation with half a pound of salt," he said.
Lee-Cains had previously been kicked out of two residential programmes and was sentenced to intensive supervision on a similar raft of dishonesty crimes in June last year.
Within days, he was offending again.
Lee-Cains’ slew of offences involved an array of dishonesty, including shoplifting from supermarkets, selling non-existent goods online, stealing from cars, using stolen bank cards, accessing a victim’s online bank accounts and burglary.
It began on June 21 last year when the defendant entered Gardens New World, filled a basket with $1138 of health and beauty products and walked out without paying.
Over subsequent months, interspersed with other crimes, Lee-Cains targeted several other supermarkets around the city, stealing meat, batteries, alcohol and other products worth more than $3000.
In July last year, the defendant started stealing from cars and when he found bank cards in the vehicle he would immediately embark on an illicit spend-up.
On one occasion he managed to rack up $3382 in 19 credit card purchases before the victim realised they had been scammed.
His crimes reached new levels of brazenness in September when a woman was sitting with her purse beside her outside Night ’n Day in the Octagon, talking to a friend.
Lee-Cains helped himself to her bank card and within hours had ripped her off for $700.
His most lucrative swindle took place on November 5 when he got into an unlocked car in George St, taking a handbag which contained a cellphone and other items.
Lee-Cains accessed the woman’s banking app and transferred $5600 to accounts belonging to three associates before convincing them to withdraw the cash from ATMs.
A couple of weeks later, the defendant found a way to combine his crimes.
He first stole a vehicle parked in Royal Tce then, the next day, he drove it to Countdown Andersons Bay, where he made off with more than $200 of alcohol and food.
The day Lee-Cains’ spree ended, his offending reached its audacious peak.
Court documents detailed how he walked into The Mornington Taphouse and falsely claimed he had lost his phone and wallet at the bar.
The staff member unwittingly picked up items belonging to his own work colleagues and Lee-Cains strolled out with the goods.
The court heard victims were "disgusted" with the man’s behaviour; one woman had lost rings given to her by her grandmother and desperately tried to trace them without success.
Judge Phillips rejected Lee-Cains’ claims of remorse.
"I believe you didn’t give a toss about [the victims]," he said.
A drug and alcohol report noted Lee-Cains started using cannabis at the age of 8 and methamphetamine at 13, as well as regularly consuming alcohol.
Counsel Karlena Lawrence told the court his issues were a result of a childhood spent in state care and the mental-health problems that came with it.
Convicted of charges, Lee-Cains was jailed for three and a-half years.
