This snapshot describes the penalties imposed on adult offenders convicted of motor vehicle theft.

Over the period 2009 to 2010 a total of 1018 offenders were convicted of motor vehicle theft in NSW Local and District Courts. Imprisonment was the most commonly imposed penalty, followed by a bond without supervision and a suspended sentence. The risk of imprisonment increased with the number of prior convictions. In addition, offenders previously imprisoned for theft or a related offence were most likely to be sentenced to imprisonment for their current motor vehicle theft offence (92% and 79% respectively).