A street robber who targeted school children before going on the run for eight years after “vanishing” from court has been jailed.

Marian Makula, formerly of Margate, was arrested in November after re-entering the country from his homeland Slovakia.

The 25-year-old was wanted by police after fleeing Canterbury Crown Court in 2014, having pleaded guilty to three robbery offences moments before.

Makula and Eugen Godla, 16 and 17 at the time, targeted three young boys for mobile phones in Margate in February 2014, as they walked home from school.

After the case was adjourned for a few hours “Makula ‘vanished’ and a bench warrant was issued, not backed for bail”, prosecutor Amy Nicholson told the same court on Thursday.

Makula was jailed for 18 months for his historic crimes, alongside the bail offence.

The court heard Makula evaded police detection and fled to his homeland, where he lay low at his grandmother’s home, while working on the railways.

Meanwhile, UK police continued to hunt Makula who, alongside his co-defendant, conducted the robberies over two days.

“A neighbour, Maria Murphy, saw [the boy] soon after in tears. He appeared in shock, clearly shaken and distressed..."

He and Godla pulled a knife on a 14-year-old boy at about 4pm in Northdown Road and robbed his Nokia C5.

Shortly afterwards, the pair tracked a 16-year-old boy towards Albert Terrace, following him into his home.

But when they demanded their victim’s phone, his father interrupted the robbery, prompting them to run.

The following day they demanded a 14-year-old boy hand over his Samsung phone - a Christmas present worth £100 - in St Dunstan's Road.

Godla threatened to stab the boy if he refused, Ms Nicholson explained.

“A neighbour, Maria Murphy, saw [the boy] soon after in tears. He appeared in shock, clearly shaken and distressed,” Ms Nicholson continued.

Miss Murphy alerted the police and the pair were soon arrested.

When Makula was hauled before the court in November he told a judge he returned to the UK - where he was arrested at Liverpool Airport - to live with his uncle following a family tragedy.

“He told the court his mother died in Slovakia on August 31, 2014, that his father is now in prison in Slovakia and thus he came to England to see his uncle as he has no one else,” Ms Nicholson explained.

Makula played a lesser role in the robberies and “came back to face the consequences of his actions”, Nadia Semlali, mitigating said.

She added Makula fled court in 2014 as “due to his young age he was just terrified about what was going to happen.”

Makula, of previous good character, was handed 18 months by Recorder Ben Irwin, after admitting two counts of robbery, attempted robbery and breaching bail.

Godla was handed detention of more than three years inside a Young Offenders Institute in 2014, the court heard.