A man arrested on his return to Australia had spent almost a year in a Thai prison for stealing a dressing gown.
Steven Villa returned to Australia on Friday from Thailand and was arrested on his return for breaching a community corrections order.
He had also been arrested on his arrival to Thailand in September 2018, for an earlier offence of stealing a dressing gown in the Asian nation, prosecutor Geoff Adams told the Melbourne Magistrate Court on Saturday.
Villa was held in custody until April this year and was given a two-year suspended community corrections order, he added.
Villa tried to leave Thailand believing his matter had been dealt with but was stopped and arrested by Thai police.
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He was held in immigration detention for another three weeks.
Villa contacted Australian immigration and was finally released back to Australia, the court was told.
He unsuccessfully applied for bail on Saturday due to breaching the five warrants out in relation to the CCO breach.
"I was not trying to get away from my responsibilities," Villa pleaded.
He's already served 80 hours of the 250 hours of community service, Villa said.
Villa had been allowed to leave the country but had been required to report in to a local police station - which he had breached while in Thailand.
"I have worked really hard to put my life in a positive direction. If I go back to jail that will be a backwards step. I am a changed person," the former ice user said.
Villa is engaged to a Thai woman who is three-months pregnant with his child.
He wishes to bring her and the unborn child to Australia.
Villa faces two charges relating to theft from a shop and failure to answer bail.
He is due to appear at the Heidelberg Magistrates Court on August 1.
