Kane Gleeson,40, from Barrack Heights, was sentenced to three years' jail, with a non-parole period of two years in Wollongong Local Court last week, while his comrade in arms, Kerry Imisides, 57, from Koonawarra, was sentenced to two years and three months' jail, with a non-parole period of 18 months.

The pair had come up with a brazen plan to blow up the College Avenue ATM in the early hours of September 18 last year in the hope of making off with the cash inside.

However, far from making a successful withdrawal, the pair left empty handed, abandoning half their equipment when they were interrupted mid-heist.

Court documents said CCTV showed the two men cover the ATM lens with spray paint, jemmy the plastic flap from the cash dispenser off with the crow bar and pump gas into the ATM using garden hose before soaking the rope in petrol and setting it alight.

The flame caused the gas inside the machine to ignite, attracting the interest of a passerby, who contacted police.

Gleeson and Imisides fled the scene. Emergency services arrived a short time later and extinguished the fire, which had damaged the front of the machine but failed to breach the inner cavity.

The duo was arrested in November and charged with attempted aggravated break, enter and steal and recklessly damaging property by fire, to which they pleaded guilty in court.

With time served, Imisides will be released to parole in May 2020, while Gleeson will be released six months later in November.