A dad-of-two caused more than £2,000 of damage at a launderette when he smashed up washing machines and stole the coin boxes from inside.

Dusan Petr used a pair of pliers to force open the lids of the appliances and made off with £200 from the Lantern Launderette in Folkestone’s Old High Street.

The 21-year-old of Oswald Road, Dover, was charged with theft and criminal damage and originally denied the offences.

However, when he appeared at Margate Magistrates’ Court via video link from prison on Tuesday, he changed his plea to guilty for both crimes.

The court heard Petr had entered the launderette, which was unstaffed, on March 13 last year.

Ms Farbrace said: “He used pliers to lift the lids on the washing machines. Then he kicked inside the machine to release the money boxes, damaging the insides and the lids which locked into place.

“He then put the money boxes into a black bag and left the store.”

The following day, the owner discovered the theft and damage - which cost £2,155.08 to repair.

Ms Farbrace said: “The owner didn’t have insurance as the premium was high for fire and theft and it was difficult to get insurance. He said he lost between £400 and £500 while the washing machines were out of action.”

In a victim impact statement, the owner said the incident had left him stressed out and anxious about the financial impact. He now constantly worries about keeping an eye on the shop as nothing like this had ever happened before.

Ms Farbrace said Petr had previous convictions for burglary, fraud and theft and is currently serving 38 weeks' custody.

Nigel Numas, mitigating said his client, who has two children, aged three and eight months, had not been in the right frame of mind at the time of the raid.

The court heard Petr, who has been with his partner for five years, used to take amphetamines and cannabis but has been clean for six months.

The lawyer added: “He lives with his parents and has been here (in Britain) for 20 years. He hopes to get work (when he gets out).”

Magistrates told Petr they felt they had no alternative but to jail him because of the stress and impact the offences had had on the launderette owner and that there had been some planning involved in his crimes.

He was jailed for 60 days for the criminal damage and 30 days for the theft but was told those sentences would run concurrently to the sentence he was currently serving.

They also ordered him to pay £2,155.08 compensation for the damage he caused and £200 to cover the amount he stole, as well as £500 to the owner for his loss of earnings.

Petr will not have to pay until he is released from his current sentence and this will be at a rate of £20 a month.