Gareth Searle, 23, pleaded guilty in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court this week to 26 charges, including being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, possessing a controlled weapon, wilfully damaging property, theft, carrying a controlled weapon, possessing a prohibited weapon, riotous behaviour, using threatening words in a public place and committing indictable offences on bail, among others.

In August last year, police were called to the intersection of Milroy Street and Ironbark Road in Bendigo, where Searle had been waving a knife around before he was restrained by a witness.

Police searched a satchel he was carrying and found a homemade pen pistol, capable of firing a single .22 round, and a large knife.

Then this April, Searle was involved in the theft of a vehicle that occurred after the owner accidentally dropped the keys.

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The vehicle was driven to a Long Gully service station and the victim's bank card, which was in the vehicle, was used to purchase cigarettes.

A few weeks later, he kicked the glass panes of a Hargreaves Mall store, before entering and demanding money.

He was dragged out by friends, but picked up a display sign and threw it, then upended a table of goods.

A short time later he picked up a sign belonging to a Williamson Street shop and threw it at the glass door of another business in an attempt to break it, before walking into Sidney Myer Place and pushing over a motorcycle.

Searle was taken into custody and was found to have a small knuckle blade.

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The following month, Searle stole a bottle of tequila worth about $82 from a Bendigo bottle shop.

Five days later, shortly after midnight, Searle got into the rear yard of an East Bendigo firearm and outdoors shop and stole equipment worth $700, including two mountain bikes and a petrol blower - but not before causing $300 of damage in a toilet block.

On June 6, Searle was arrested by protective services officers in Mitchell Street, who found him in possession of a folding knife, knuckle dusters and cannabis.

He was taken to the police station where he admitted the items were his.

Defence lawyer Kate Youngson told the court Searle had a long psychiatric history, a mild intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, substance abuse disorder and a developmental disorder.

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She said Searle's issues meant he would be more vulnerable in prison.

Magistrate John Murphy said he took into account Searle's guilty plea and the issues he had in life.

"But we can't have someone wandering around with a pen pistol, it could kill someone," Mr Murphy said.

He said people were also entitled to walk down the street to get a pie without having to put up with someone "carrying on" as Searle behaved.

Mr Murphy convicted Searle and sentenced him to 12 months' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of four months.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months, ordered to pay a total of $1000 in compensation, and directed to provide police with a DNA sample.

Searle had already spent 25 days in custody at sentencing.

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