Brenden Abbott
Camera IconBrenden Abbott Credit: Supplied/Supplied

‘Postcard bandit’ loses WA appeal bid

AAPFremantle Gazette

THE so-called “postcard bandit”, who gained national notoriety as a bank robber and prison escapee, has lost an appeal against part of his prison sentence in Western Australia.

Brenden Abbott is serving 16 years behind bars, 10 of them for an aggravated armed robbery in 1987.

Abbott took that case to the WA Court of Appeal, arguing the decade-long term was manifestly excessive and crushing.

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But on Friday, the judges said the argument was devoid of merit and they would not intervene on the basis of mercy.

After escaping the now-decommissioned Fremantle Prison by dressing as a guard in November 1989, Abbott remained on the run until 1995 when he was arrested in Queensland and jailed for crimes including robbery.

He again escaped from jail in November 1997 but was recaptured in the Northern Territory, returned to Queensland in May 1998 and was jailed for additional offences.

He was swiftly arrested upon being granted parole in April 2016 and unsuccessfully fought his extradition to WA where he remains in jail.

The appeal judges noted Abbott deliberately committed crimes that led to his imprisonment in Queensland.

“When he escaped legal custody in WA, he must have known that if he was apprehended he would be required to serve the unexpired portion of his sentence,” the judges said.

“While he was an escapee, and until the time of his arrest in Queensland, he committed a number of very serious armed robberies.”

Abbott’s jail term runs until 2033 but he will be eligible for parole in 2026.

If he completes his full sentence, he will be 70 years old and have spent almost 40 years in prison in WA and Queensland.

“A proportion of that time has been spent in isolation due to his propensity to escape from prison,” the judges said.

“It is a tragedy for the appellant that he has, by his deliberate criminal conduct, ruined his life.

“Nevertheless, the appellant must take responsibility for the serious crimes he has committed.”

The judges noted it was open to Abbott to try to persuade the government to exercise the prerogative of mercy.

As one of Australia’s most wanted men, Abbott earned his nickname while on the run following reports he taunted police by sending them postcards but in fact police just found undeveloped photos of him.