O’Sullivan’s Beach man arrested, accused of being SA’s notorious ‘Bicycle Bandit’ bank robber

Police have swooped at O’Sullivan’s Beach and charged a man over 11 unsolved bank robberies that have baffled SA for 20 years.

A man alleged to be South Australia’s infamous Bicycle Bandit has been arrested – almost 20 years after the first of 11 bank robberies by the mysterious gunman.

Serious and Organised Crime branch detectives arrested a man, 73, early on Friday at his O’Sullivan’s Beach house following a lengthy covert operation.

He has been formally charged with 10 counts of aggravated robbery using a firearm and one count of attempted aggravated robbery using a firearm in connection with his decade-long reign of terror, which stretched from Willunga, south of Adelaide, through to Balaklava, north of Adelaide.

He is expected to face the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.

The breakthrough arrest follows extensive reviews of the case by detectives attached to Operation Coy, which was established in the early stages of the bandit’s holdup spree after the robberies were linked to a common offender.

Video surveillance image of the SA criminal known as the Bicycle Bandit a robbing bank branch at Yankalilla in December 2007.

The notorious Adelaide Hills bank robbing Bicycle Bandit, wearing a balaclava.

It is understood evidence linking the man to the robberies was enhanced in recent weeks and includes both DNA and physical evidence crucial to the case.

Officer in Charge of the Serious and Organised Crime Branch, Detective Superintendent Billy Thompson said the arrest was the culmination of an almost 20 year investigation “during which investigators left no stone unturned and importantly never gave up.”

“Over the course of a decade, it is alleged this person committed 10 significant bank robberies, stealing substantial amounts of cash,” Detective Superintendent Thompson said.

“Police identified connections between the robberies early in the investigation and established Operation Coy, since that time detectives attached to Operation Coy have been painstaking in their investigations, seizing on every opportunity to advance the investigation and identify a suspect.

The arrest on Friday was a direct result of all the collective work over the last 19 years, he said.

“This investigation is a credit to all those involved and shows that SAPOL will be relentless in our search for the truth.”

Surveillance video footage a robbery at the BankSA branch at Willunga suspected of being the work of the Bicycle Bandit.

Det Supt Thompson said the confidential investigation involved detectives from Operation Coy, the state response section, forensics and ballistics officers.

“I can say during Friday’s arrest detectives recovered unlicensed firearms that are of interest to investigating detectives,” he said.

“The arrest will hopefully bring some comfort to the numerous victims who have suffered significant trauma as a result of this violent activity over the years.”

The last of the Bicycle Bandit’s known 11 bank robberies occurred nine years ago, however Serious and Organised Crime detectives had been pursuing active leads in the cold case inquiry.

The case had been reviewed several times to ensure existing evidence was further developed and if any new opportunities were available to advance the inquiry.

Despite a $100,000 reward being offered for information to help identify the bandit, little valuable information had been forthcoming before Friday’s arrest, indicating the offender had either not shared his secrets with anyone, or those who did have knowledge could be too scared to come forward.

The Bicycle Bandit’s reign of terror started in May 2004 when he robbed the ANZ bank at Mannum.

Over the ensuing decade he would strike another 10 times throughout the Adelaide Hills and as far north as Balaklava and as far south as Willunga.

His robberies, which traumatised dozens of bank staff who were threatened at gunpoint, netted him more than $250,000 in cash.

He gained his nickname via his unusual method of escape in four of the hold-ups – a bicycle.

In the remainder he escaped on foot to strategically placed getaway vehicles that included a white Mitsubishi Magna on several occasions and a silver or grey Subaru Forester 4WD in his last two robberies.

Before his arrest, detectives held two significant pieces of evidence – the bandit’s DNA profile and a recording of his voice.

His DNA was obtained after his hit on the ANZ bank at Balaklava in June 2008.

He was being pursued by a local uniformed police officer who responded to the alarm and while jumping a fence at the rear of the bank cut his hand or arm, leaving a spray of blood behind.

His voice recording was obtained when he robbed the BankSA branch at Mount Pleasant in July 2007 – his second of three robberies on the same branch.

Fortunately, a staff member was on the telephone to Telstra sorting out a mobile phone problem when he burst into the bank.

In August, then officer in charge of the Serious and Organised Crime Branch Detective Superintendent Denise Gray said police were continually receiving information relating to the inquiry – including possible suspects – which was taken seriously and investigated as it emerged.

“With DNA there are lots of technologies and there lots of things being used around the world we are looking at,” she said.

“And there are now a lot more offences for which DNA can now be taken, such as driving offences for example.’’

Originally published as O’Sullivan’s Beach man arrested, accused of being SA’s notorious ‘Bicycle Bandit’ bank robber