A hardened Illawarra criminal thanked Wollongong Police in court on Tuesday, as he was sentenced to up to 18 months in jail.
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Police found Jeremy Lee Sing, 46, slumped in his wheelchair unresponsive in Towradgi last year.
The man, who is well known to police in the region and has been arrested on numerous occasions, was suffering from a shattered ankle and badly damaged fibula.
But that night, police took him to hospital for treatment rather than arresting him again.
Appearing in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday from Long Bay Jail hospital, Sing's lawyer Elizabeth Parkes thanked police on Sing's behalf.
Hee acknowledged he was in no state to get himself to the hospital at that time.
The Wollongong man of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to several counts of possessing stolen goods and assaulting a woman he is prohibited from having contact with.
Documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court reveal Sing was living with a woman who he is prohibited from contacting due to past threats and acts of violence.
In October, the woman was driving with Sing to a Towradgi address.
During the journey, Sing became violent, hitting the woman five times in the face while she was driving, causing her to momentarily lose her glasses.
When the pair arrived at the destination, the woman got out of the car and walked past the passenger's side where Sing was sitting.
As she did so, Sing lashed out with one of his crutches at the woman, hitting her in the left leg and causing her to limp.
Police later found Sing and took him to hospital.
In September, police were patrolling Kembla Street in Wollongong when they saw Sing pushing a bicycle.
Police saw Sing holding a portable speaker wedged in the bicycle's handlebars with a new electrical cord and battery. The plastic safety cap still covering the adaptor.
When questioned Sing said he bought the speaker from a man named "Jason" but could not provide police with Jason's address, contact details or last name.
Later investigations revealed the speaker was stolen from the Wollongong Telstra shop and Sing was caught on CCTV.
Magistrate Chris McRobert said Sing was effectively "institutionalised" having only spent two years out of the past 12 not in custody.
Mr McRobert sentenced Sing to 18 months in jail with a 10 month non-parole period. With time already served Sing will be eligible for release on November 6.
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