One of Australia's most prolific criminals faces court

One of Australia's most prolific and violent criminals, Alexander Robert Macdonald, is set to be sentenced on September 30 after pleading guilty to two significant bank robberies in rural New South Wales during the 1990s. The 76-year-old, who is currently serving time in prison and representing himself, has expressed a desire to attend the sentencing personally, despite his physical disability.

Macdonald's criminal history is extensive, spanning a lengthy period of criminal activity in various locations across Australia. Two notorious incidents stand out in his list of crimes: a 1996 robbery at a Commonwealth Bank branch in Coonabarabran, where he threatened a 22-year-old woman for protection during his escape, and another robbery at an ANZ branch in Laurieton two months later.

Before these robberies, Macdonald's most serious offense was the murder of Ronald Joseph Williams in 1996, for which he was convicted in Western Australia and served a 25-year prison sentence before returning to Queensland. His extradition to New South Wales was recently approved to ensure he faces justice for the Coonabarabran and Laurieton bank hold-ups.