Jai Jai Rilen, 36, appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to a string of charges mainly relating to burglary, theft and dishonesty offences.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to answer bail three times.

Rilen was sentenced to seven months behind bars.

The court heard the 36-year-old had struggled with a heroin addiction for 15 years and that he committed the crimes while under the influence of drugs or in a bid to feed his habit.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Len Ladner told the court that in July last year Rilen entered a metropolitan police station to report a stolen wallet.

Rilen told police his brown leather wallet containing a Medicare card with his name on it and $200 had been stolen from his back pocket.

However, the court heard that Rilen returned to the police station the next day in possession of the wallet. He claimed to have reported it stolen to get money back from Centrelink.

On another occasion, Rilen broke into a Melbourne residential property and stole a $3000 racing bike.

A neighbour had seen Rilen loitering outside the property on the day of the burglary and when police caught up with Rilen they found him in possession of the bike.

Senior Constable Ladner said that when questioned Rilen made full admissions and said he was going to use the bike to get more drugs.

He also said he had used heroin before the break-in.

Rilen also pleaded guilty to handling the proceeds of crime after he was found riding a stolen bicycle.

Rilen said he had been given the bike by a man he had just met that evening.

Defence lawyer Marcus Williams said Rilen had already spent four days in custody after handing himself in to Castlemaine police on Saturday.

He said Rilen had recently moved to Castlemaine to be closer to his family, and he was now enrolled in a methadone program.