A drug addict who stole a car from a Christchurch drugs rehab centre sobbed in the dock today as he was jailed on his daughter's first birthday.

Travis James Baillie, 25, took the car while living at Odyssey House Trust, which provides therapeutic support and education to clients with drug and alcohol addictions.

His lawyer told Christchurch District Court that Baillie went off the rails after his support network was broken through both of his parents being sent to prison.

In May this year, he took off in a Suzuki car owned by Odyssey House.

Baillie went on to steal two more cars before he was caught.

Today, as his young daughter watched as he was jailed for 27 months, Judge Jane Farish asked him: "How many more birthdays are you going to spend like that?"

As Baillie wiped away tears, she added: "If ever there was a motivating factor, it's her, for you to be able to change."

He pleaded guilty to three charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, two counts of driving while disqualified, theft of some petrol, and breach of his sentence of home detention by absconding from Odyssey House.

The court heard that Baillie has come from a "very disadvantaged" background.

He has an extensive Youth Court history and has been grappling with a chronic methamphetamine problem.

Earlier this year, a report from Odyssey House stated, however, that Baillie had been making "significant progress".

He had impressed with his positive and mature attitude, motivated to address his drug issues.

But defence counsel David Goldwater said the jailing of his parents, along with the imposition of a protection order which prevented him from seeing his child, had "messed with his head".

He then made the regretful decision to flee the programme in the stolen car.

Goldwater said Baillie was "disappointed in himself" and had apologised for the harm caused to his victims.

Judge Farish jailed Baillie for 27 months, disqualified him from driving until November 2017, and told him that he could choose to live a life different from his parents.