Supporters of Bicycle Bandit Kym Allen Parsons fear he will die in prison before sentencing, victim with cancer has no sympathy

The infamous bank robber will be sentenced on Monday after ending a 20-year mystery by finally confessing to the series of money heists.

• Penbo: If Parsons gets a merciful death, what about von Einem?

Bicycle Bandit Kym Allen Parsons is so ill he will die in jail before he is sentenced next week, his supporters claim – but one of his victims, who also has terminal cancer, says he deserves no leniency.

On Thursday, during a closed court hearing, the Supreme Court was informed Parsons was “suffering” and wanted to use his voluntary assisted dying kit at the Flinders Medical Centre.

Justice Sandi McDonald noted she had been asked to sentence Parsons by 2pm, but said that was “unreasonable” given the requirements of finalising “a case like this”.

Sources close to Parsons, meanwhile, told The Advertiser he is “riddled” with cancer and was unlikely to survive to see his original June 28 sentencing date.

Remanding him in custody was, they said, an “utterly inhumane” decision that denied him the “dignity” of voluntary assisted dying – but one of his victims said they had missed the point.

The former bank worker, who asked not to be named, has herself recently been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and has a life expectancy of less than a decade.

She said Parsons’ victims would only receive justice if he spent the rest of his life – regardless of how short that period was – behind bars.

Bicycle bandit Kym Allen Parsons. Picture: Mark Brake

Parsons during one of the robberies, with his signature SKK 7.62 rifle. Picture: Supplied

“People can say I’m inhumane, I don’t care … the law is the law, a sentence is a sentence, and he has to be held accountable,” she said.

“He did wrong and not just once … it was 10 bloody times, almost 11 … he is where he belongs, and he should not have access to his VAD kit while there.

“Parsons pleaded guilty but he’s not going to serve his full term … if he has his kit, then he’s got a way to give himself an out and basically get away with it.”

On Monday, Parsons, 73, ended a 20-year mystery by pleading guilty to 10 counts of armed robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery, and firearms charges.

In a tearful in-court apology, he admitted being the masked, gun-wielding bandit who traumatised dozens of bank workers between 2004 and 2014.

He also pledged to repay all $358, 976.90 stolen during his crime spree, which he said was motivated by his “illogical and irrational” thinking at the time.

During that hearing, James Marcus, for Parsons, said his client “became ill at the age of 58” and was subsequently diagnosed as suffering cancer “affecting his brain and body”.

He said Parsons asked for his case to be called on ahead of his scheduled February trial so he could confess in front of his victims.

The plea also came 10 days after The Advertiser revealed SA Health had granted Parsons’ application for VAD, and had provided him with the means to legally end his life.

Mr Marcus’ request that Parsons be permitted to remain on home detention bail out of “mercy” was rejected by Justice Sandi McDonald, who remanded him in custody.

On Thursday, prosecutor Karen Ingleton said she had made an urgent application to have the matter called on.

“The director’s office this morning was advised that Mr Parsons intended to access treatment at the Flinders Medical Centre and access the voluntary assisted dying permission that he had obtained prior to entering custody,” she said.

“Given that that was not a matter which Your Honour was aware of on Monday and, indeed, none of the parties, I believe, were aware of that, my instructions were to bring the matter on and to make your Honour aware of the situation in relation to Mr Parsons’ health and his intentions.

“My instructions are to ask whether it is at all possible for your Honour to bring forward the sentencing of Mr Parsons from the current listing date which is next Friday.

“I know that is an unusual request.”

The cache of weapons, including the SKK 7.62 rifle, seized during Parsons’ arrest. Picture: SA Police

Justice McDonald noted the “first request” she had received “was to sentence him by 2pm today” which “was completely unreasonable”.

Mr Marcus said his client, who is in the Adelaide Remand Centre, “is feeling very poorly and is suffering”.

“Upon reflection, he does not wish to access the VAD procedures until your Honour has passed sentence and so some of the urgency of today is perhaps allayed,” he said.

“All Mr Parsons’ request is, if your Honour is able, is to pass sentence on him as soon as possible.”

Justice McDonald said that was “not unreasonable in the circumstances”.

“I think the best I could do, to do justice to the process and to the victims and all the parties involved, would be to sentence Mr Parsons on Monday,” she said.

“Is that tolerable for you, Mr Parsons?” she asked.

He replied: “Yes, thank you very much, Your Honour.”

Justice McDonald continued: “You might not appreciate it, but there’s a fair bit that goes into crafting sentencing remarks and an appropriate sentence in a case like this.”

He replied: “I appreciate that very much, thank you.”

On Thursday, a source close to Parsons said he should have been permitted to remain on bail.

“To remand him in custody with literally two weeks to live is utterly inhumane … he is riddled with cancer, he is not a flight risk nor a danger to the community,” the source said.

“It was he who decided to plead guilty to give the victims closure … even Nazi war criminals were afforded dignity by being released from jail so they could die in a dignified way.

“Kym Parsons will never be sentenced – and if he is, he would serve only a nanosecond of that sentence.”

Parsons’ terminally-ill victim said she had neither sympathy nor empathy for his plight.

“He’s not palliative, he’s up and walking about, he’s not on his deathbed,” she said.

“I’m not trying to undermine his circumstances, but nor do I seek to understand them … all I can say is he looks quite well, to be honest.”

She said she found Parsons’ apology hollow and self-serving.

“His tears, to me, were not directed at the victims who he’s caused stress and depression to, his tears were for himself,” she said.

“I feel like he thought that, if he pleaded guilty, the court would take sympathy and empathy on him and let him go die in his $1.5 million home.

“He’s done wrong, he needs to be held accountable and that’s best done by spending the rest of his life behind bars – even if that’s only a few weeks.”