Adam Paul Davidson sentenced for ‘unsophisticated’ bank robbery

A father who made headlines for a violent act against fellow inmate Brett Peter Cowan in 2016 has returned to court for his “entirely unsophisticated” attempt to rob an Ipswich bank.

A judge has told the man responsible for a vigilante prison attack against Daniel Morcombe’s killer that he had not given up on his rehabilitation yet.

Adam Paul Davidson, 36, pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court on December 9, 2022, to one count of attempted robbery while armed.

The court heard Davidson had attempted to rob a bank in Goodna on March 11, 2022, by approaching a bank teller and telling her he was armed and wanted money.

Judge Lynch noted Davidson wasn’t actually armed, but had threatened the woman that he had a gun and a syringe.

He said the plan was “entirely unsophisticated,” and the teller quickly raised the alarm and Davidson was arrested by police soon after.

Davidson has been remanded in custody since.

Judge Lynch noted Davidson’s offending had a significant psychological impact on the complainant, who found it “very difficult to return to work and to get on with her life”.

He said Davidson had a “lengthy and concerning criminal history”, including a 2012 conviction for an armed robbery in which Davidson had similarly demanded money from a bottle shop.

He also noted there were “serious offences” committed against Davidson while he was in custody for that offending, and that one of the alleged offenders was yet to be dealt with.

“I appreciate that that has impacted on you significantly … It’s impacted you psychologically when you’ve been in the community, and it’s affected the way that you’ve been held in custody,” said Judge Lynch.

He said Davidson had been isolated from the rest of the prison population as a result of the incident throughout much of his time in custody.

Judge Lynch further noted Davidson had also been sentenced in 2017 for an offence that occurred in prison.

It was reported at the time that Davidson had “tortured” Daniel Morcombe’s killer Brett Peter Cowan in custody by pouring hot water over him in a violent act of vigilantism.

Adam Paul Davidson after his release on parole in 2017. Picture: 9News

Defence barrister Allana Davie tendered a letter of apology from Davidson for the bank teller.

She accepted her client had a “somewhat unique background” and “concerning criminal history”.

However, she noted Davidson had obtained an NDIS package since this offence, which she said would assist him with his mental health and support his goal to become a contributing member of the community.

Judge Lynch noted Davidson was a father of four had done his best to remain in contact with his children and “affect them in a positive way” despite being in and out of jail for various offending through their lives.

He addressed Davidson, saying: “None of us is blind to what’s happened to you in the period you’ve been in custody and the trauma that you’ve experienced, and the difficulty you have faced as a result of your drug problems”.

“I know you’ve made efforts at different times to deal with those problems, but in the end you haven’t followed through … That would be a sad way for you to continue to live your life – to commit offences because you feel safer in jail than out of jail.”

“I haven’t given up on your prospects of rehabilitation; I hope you haven’t.”

Judge Lynch warned him, however: “If you come back having committed another offence such as this, you’re not going to get the sympathetic ear you got this time.”

Davidson was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment, with immediate parole release.

His presentence custody of 273 days was declared time-served, and convictions were recorded.