A man who terrorised a state in a 10-year bank robbing spree has been sentenced to 35 years in prison even as cancer corrodes his body and he makes plans to imminently end his life through a voluntary assisted dying procedure.
Kym Parsons, 73, robbed 11 banks across South Australia from 2004 to 2014, armed with a rifle and wearing a black balaclava.
He evaded capture for years before South Australian Police arrested him on October 13, 2023.
He originally pleaded not guilty to the crimes, before turning suddenly to admit to his crime spree last week.
In a packed courtroom filled with the victims of Mr Parsons’ brutal robberies, Supreme Court Justice Sandi McDonald delivered her sentencing remarks, telling Mr Parsons, who sat quietly in the dock from the remand centre, his conduct was “morally reprehensible”.
The court heard Mr Parsons threatened bank tellers with violence if he didn’t give him the money.
Justice McDonald said some of Mr Parsons’ victims had suffered trauma and PTSD from his acts.
SA Health granted Mr Parsons access to VAD earlier this year, before he had pleaded guilty to his crimes.
Justice McDonald sentenced Mr Parsons to 35 years in prison with a non-parole period of 28 years.
She said his crimes still had “no real explanation”, but accepted his guilty plea was driven by “remorse”.
It is understood Mr Parsons only has days or weeks left to live, with cancer eating into his bones, brains and lungs.
He will imminently travel to Flinders Medical Centre, where he will be able to access his voluntary assisted dying kit.
South Australia passed its VAD laws in 2021 and eligible patients with terminal illnesses have been able to access the procedure since 2023.