A man stole five cars in less than six hours, a court has heard.

Jarrod Mulcahy, 36, formerly of Echuca, and now of Bendigo, pleaded guilty to more than 30 charges in Echuca Magistrates’ Court to offences committed between April and August 2024.

This included burglary and vehicle theft after stealing five cars from Echuca not-for-profit community organisation Intereach over five and a half hours on Anzac Day.

Mulcahy’s co-accused drove off in one of the cars, with Mulcahy following in the one they arrived in.

The pair kept returning to steal the rest of the cars.

The last time they returned there was a third man with them, and all three left driving a car, leaving one vehicle behind.

Mulcahy pleaded guilty to two counts of driving dangerously after being directed to stop by police, two counts of driving dangerously, two counts of failing to stop on police direction, two counts of vehicle theft, theft and dishonestly handling stolen goods.

He stole a yellow Ford Falcon in Echuca and overtook a police vehicle while driving it on O’Dwyer Rd, Wharparilla on May 14.

Police tried to stop him while he was speeding.

He later drove on the wrong side of the Murray Valley Hwy, narrowly missing other vehicles, and was speeding on Crossen St, where police tried to follow.

He then hid the Ford behind a fence on a vacant property and ran away.

On June 23, he sped off on police in a stolen white Ford Falcon, driving on the wrong side of Stawell St, and through a give way intersection on Eyre St.

He later stole a Volkswagen Amarok, $60.80 of diesel, and was driving on the wrong side of the Murray Valley Hwy in Echuca on July 5.

Mulcahy pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicle theft, three counts of theft, four counts of dishonestly assisting in the retention of stolen goods, possessing cartridge ammunition and obtaining obtaining property by deception.

Mulcahy and a co-offender stole a Kia Sorento from a Dingee property on August 3.

The pair then stole a laptop, fuel card and bank card — which was used to steal $45.08 of fuel — from a vehicle in Rochester on August 5.

Mulcahy stole tools and batteries from a ute on High St, Echuca, and $150 of items with a co-accused from the Echuca Back Nine Golf Course on August 6.

Items including four empty shotgun cartridges and one unused cartridge — which were stolen from a different ute in Echuca — were found in the Kia when it was located in a bush reserve area along Campaspe River.

Mulcahy and a co-offender stole a Holden Commodore, which had a flat battery, from a Strathallan property overnight between August 5 and 6.

They crashed the car on Echuca-Mitiamo Rd at Bamawm, flipping it on to its roof, but walked away after a passing motorist called an ambulance.

Police found items, some of which were stolen, including the Kia car key, shotgun cartridges and an ammunition belt when they searched the Holden.

Mulcahy pleaded guilty to possessing a controlled weapon, five counts of dishonestly undertaking in the retention of stolen goods and dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime.

Police found a flick knife on Mulcahy, and items including power tools, a mountain bike and the yellow Ford Falcon while searching his Echuca property on July 10.

The also found items including tools, bike frames and dismantled e-scooters at his property on April 29.

He was also seen riding a bike that had been stolen along with a tool bag and socket set in Moama on July 2.

Mulcahy pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtain a financial advantage by deception and dishonestly receive in the disposal of stolen goods after stealing items, including a concrete saw, in Moama on April 24 that he pawned at Cash Converters in Bendigo for $300 on May 15.

Mulachy was also charged with six counts of driving while disqualified.

Magistrate Jarrod Williams said prison was usually the only option for someone with Mulcahy’s criminal history, but that he had been persuaded to take a different approach.

However, he said it was clear that methamphetamines were at the root of Mulcahy’s offending, and noted Mulcahy had engaged in rehabilitation.

He acknowledged Mulcahy’s intellectual disability, childhood deprivation and plea of guilty.

Mulcahy was sentenced to 234 days in prison — which has already been served — and a 12-month community corrections order.

Under the order he must undergo drug treatment and rehabilitation, and take part in offender behaviour programs.

He was fined $800 for possessing cartridge ammunition and breaching the previous community corrections order he was on.

He was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

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Saturday, 30th October 2027

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