A notorious bank robber who terrorised South Australia over a 10-year crime spree has taken his own life through a voluntary assisted dying kit just two days after he was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his crimes.
Kym Parsons, 73, robbed 11 banks from 2004-2014, armed with a rifle and wearing a balaclava.
Nicknamed the “Bicycle Bandit”, he evaded capture for years until the police arrested him in October last year.
He originally pleaded not guilty to the crimes, before turning suddenly to admit to his crime spree on June 17.
On Monday, Supreme Court Justice Sandi McDonald delivered her sentencing remarks, telling Parsons, who sat quietly in the dock from the remand centre, his conduct was “morally reprehensible”.
“On the first day at the ANZ Bank, in May 2004, you saw the terror in your victims’ eyes, and yet you went back and repeated that conduct, over and over again,” Justice McDonald said.
He pleaded guilty with just weeks left to live as cancer corroded his bones and brain.
NewsWire has confirmed Parsons died at 12.15pm on Wednesday at a facility near the Flinders Medical Centre.
He transferred to the facility from prison on Tuesday afternoon.
SA Health granted him access to VAD before his guilty plea and sentence, but would not reveal details about his case.
“We do not comment on individual applications made for a VAD permit to protect patient confidentiality,” an SA Health spokeswoman told NewsWire.
“Legislated eligibility criteria must be met to access the program, including having an advanced terminal illness.”
South Australia legalised the controversial procedure, which permits someone to take their own life after meeting a set of eligibility criteria, in 2021.
To be eligible in South Australia, two independent doctors must assess a patient to have a terminal condition with less than six months left to live.
There are no prohibitions on prisoners accessing the procedure.