Serial thief who sped at 190km/h jailed

Thomas Toma developed a taste for fancy clothes and fast cars after dropping out of high school.

The 20-year-old teamed up with several others to steal more than $141,000 in cash and cigarettes from stores in 17 different incidents across Melbourne's north over a month-long period from December 2019.

A friend also filmed him driving a stolen Mercedes Benz at more than 190km/h down a residential street in mid-afternoon.

But Toma was labelled "not much good as a criminal" by County Court Judge Paul Higham and sentenced him on Thursday to four years in prison.

The Roxburgh Park man must serve two years and eight months before becoming eligible for parole.

Toma pleaded guilty to 56 charges, including 12 counts of theft, 15 of burglary and 21 of criminal damage.

He and his co-offenders, who remain before the courts, caused more than $51,000 in damage to various premises and vehicles.

"You're not much good as a criminal because you keep getting caught," Judge Higham said.

Toma, the eldest son of Iraqi refugees, dropped out of high school at the age of 15, the court heard.

He began regularly using drugs at that point and turned to crime after a family cleaning business he joined began to struggle.

Judge Higham said Toma was driven by a desire to support his family, but also by a thirst for material possessions, including Dolce & Gabbana clothes.

"As a child of immigrants you felt you did not fit in," Judge Higham said.

"Your parents had strict expectations, in contrast to the freedoms of others. I'm also sure you would have been subject to the casual racism that seems ever-present in our country.

"But you came to resent your lack of what others had. And when your honest labour didn't get what you wanted, you turned to crime."

Judge Higham also said he "shuddered" to think what could have happened to any child who stepped out onto the street when Toma, who does not have a driver's licence, was speeding in a stolen Mercedes.

"You've said you want to 'go straight', that requires action on your part," the judge said.

"It might be an Australian value, wanting things, but it's not an attractive value. You can bin it. Your worth as an individual is about what friend you can be.

"That's real worth."

Toma has already spent 399 days in custody awaiting sentence.