Guilty Vic teens hear of family's grief

Days after Timothy Jellis was killed by a stolen car that ran a red light, his family received a letter confirming the Melbourne Cricket Club membership he had long been waiting for.

"The timing of this letter could not have come at a worse moment," his father, Peter, told a Victorian children's court on Monday.

The 25-year-old had been waiting most of his life for a membership offer before a stolen car fleeing a botched burglary ran through a red light at 100km/h and crashed into Mr Jellis' vehicle in Sydenham on October 24.

He died instantly.

Two teenage boys - both 17 - have pleaded guilty to trespass, car theft and failing to render assistance in relation to Mr Jellis' death, and were in court on Monday to hear his father's victim impact statement.

The alleged driver, 18, was not in court and will fight the charges, including one count of culpable driving causing death.

The 17-year-olds have admitted smashing glass doors with a crowbar as they tried to gain access to Westgardens Shopping Centre before they were interrupted by a security guard.

They ran to a waiting car - a luxury sedan worth more than $70,000 that had been stolen days earlier - allegedly being driven by a third teen, and sped away.

It hit Mr Jellis' car soon afterwards and the trio fled.

But the back seat passenger of the stolen car made full admissions to police the next day and agreed to give evidence against the alleged driver, Crown prosecutor Ruth Champion told the court.

His lawyer asked Magistrate Lesley Fleming to take into account the boy's willingness to "do the right thing" when sentencing him.

The teen should not be jailed because "it would put back any prospect of rehabilitation", he said.

Counsel for the second 17-year-old boy said his client's involvement in Mr Jellis' death was limited.

"His criminal liability is not connected to the death," the lawyer said.

"It's connected to what happened after ... his running away."

The Crown say the events of that night cannot be downplayed.

"It doesn't get more serious than a loss of life," Ms Champion said.

The boys, who were on bail before Monday's plea hearing, have been remanded into custody until their sentencing in April.