Sean Warby has faced court after a 2018 smash and grab and stealing $1200 from a Mildura pokies room in 2023

An opportunistic Mildura thief who stole $1200 from another person at the pokies, and laptops from a business in a 2018 smash and grab, has been hauled before court.

An opportunistic Mildura crim has narrowly escaped jail after pleading guilty to several charges including stealing $1200 from a wallet he found at the pub

Sean Warby, 41, pleaded guilty in the Mildura Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to multiple charges, including theft and burglary.

The court heard Warby stole $1200 from a wallet he found at The Gateway pub in Mildura on July 25 2023.

Warby picked up a wallet dropped by another patron and removed the money in the bathroom before handing the wallet back to pub staff, falsely claiming it contained no money.

After having his wallet returned, the victim immediately reported the theft to the police

Warby was arrested the next day when he returned to the pub with the $1200 in his possession.

In a separate incident in 2018, Warby admitted to burglary from a business in North Melbourne, where he stole three laptops after breaking a window with rocks.

His DNA was recovered from blood found at the scene, leading to his arrest in January of this year.

In sentencing he was warned by Magistrate Patrick Southey to stay out of trouble.

Warby told the court, “I was an alcoholic at the time, sir,” alluding to the incident from 2018, before adding he was now off the booze.

He received fines totalling more than $1500 with Mr Southey telling Warby his guilty plea had saved him from a prison sentence.