Trevor John Arthur was sentenced in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court to 100 days' imprisonment - time he had already served - and an 18-month community correction order with treatment for his drug use, mental health and offending behaviour.

The 40-year-old pleaded guilty last month to more than 20 offences, including theft, theft of a motor vehicle, obtaining property by deception, negligently dealing with the proceeds of crime, and unlicensed driving.

Among his crimes were the thefts of a hire car, a motorbike and a supermarket employee's vehicle.

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Arthur also used the details of a card belonging to an employment agency to purchase alcohol, and collected a parcel that did not belong to him from a post office, by offering a mobile phone photo of the victim's licence as identification.

He also falsely identified himself to withdraw cash from another person's bank account, and his fingerprints and evidence of residence were found inside a Haven; Home, Safe property that was supposed to be unoccupied.

In sentencing, magistrate Julie Grainger said she took Arthur's guilty plea into account in his favour and considered it was a demonstration of remorse.

She said she also accepted Arthur was sorry for his actions because of a letter he read to the court, especially for the theft of a car from a single mother.

But Ms Grainger said Arthur had to learn that his crimes would have affected all his victims.

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She also took into account his "significant" criminal history and noted he had been given many opportunities to undertake community corrections orders in the past, but breached them.

However, Ms Grainger said she had also taken Arthur's childhood trauma and his background as an Aboriginal man into consideration.

In all of the circumstances, she said, she had decided to impose a sentence combining jail time and a community corrections order.

Arthur had breached an earlier community corrections order imposed in the County Court and Ms Grainger said this would be a factor motivating Arthur to work hard on the new community corrections order, so as to show a County Court judge that he had "turned over a new leaf" and should not be sent back to prison.

"This is a once in a lifetime chance, Mr Arthur, to get out of jail and stay out of jail," Ms Grainger said.

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In sentencing Arthur to 100 days' imprisonment of time already served, the magistrate said this took into account how difficult that period of time had been, given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on those in custody.

Arthur was also fined $750, his licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from driving for one month.

Ms Grainger said she was being "very lenient" with Arthur's driving ban, as he would need his licence to get to appointments.

"Do not under any circumstances drive [while disqualified], because you will be caught, and you'll be back in jail before you know it," she said.

But for his guilty plea, Arthur would have spent five months in prison.