The method used by Mark Stanton Harris and Andrew Carroll to cut into and destroy the machines at metropolitan railway stations in 2013 has been suppressed.

It can also be revealed a co-offender of the two men, Anthony Robert Novelli, was shot dead last month at an industrial complex in Campbellfield.

Novelli had pleaded guilty in December to charges that involved causing $383,000 damage to myki machines and to stealing $4924.

Harris, 26, formerly of Mentone, pleaded guilty to five charges of criminal damage, five of theft and one count of attempted theft.

Carroll, 39, formerly of Heidelberg West, pleaded guilty to three charges each of criminal damage and theft and one of attempted theft.

Prosecutor Alex Albert earlier told the County Court the men entered each station between 2.19am and 4.47am, when the stations were closed, between June and September.

Mr Albert told judge Bill Stuart the disguised men's sole criminal objective was to steal cash, that they had moved "deliberately and quickly" and were present for less than 10 minutes.

In his sentencing remarks on Friday, judge Stuart noted the "entirely disproportionate" amount of damage caused to the cash stolen.

Judge Stuart said Harris and Carroll "worked as a team" with Novelli and a fourth unidentified man to target machines at stations that included Jewell, Royal Park and Alphington.

He said an interim suppressed order had been made earlier that prohibited publication of the method used to steal the money.

Judge Stuart told the men their guilty pleas had saved the time and expense of what would have been a costly and complex contested trial.

Carroll, a concreter, who has prior convictions that include armed robbery and who was on bail at the time for other offences, had been abusing ice during the crimes.

He told judge Stuart in a letter that the "life of crime and prison just isn't for me".

Harris, a stonemason, who was also abusing drugs and was then on a suspended prison sentence, said in a letter he blamed his "downward spiral" on drug use and the death of his mother.

Judge Stuart accepted that both men were genuine in their desire to rehabilitate.

Harris, who has had two previous court appearances, was jailed for four years and five months with a minimum of two years and 11 months, less 212 days of pre-sentence detection.

Carroll was jailed for three years and three months with a minimum of 21 months, less 145 days already served.