Alexander Robert Macdonald faces sentencing for 1990s bank robberies

Alexander Robert Macdonald, a violent criminal with a lengthy history, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 30 at the Port Macquarie District Court. Macdonald has pleaded guilty to two bank robberies committed in regional New South Wales during the 1990s.

One of the incidents occurred in October 1996 in Coonabarabran, where Macdonald, armed with a sawn-off shotgun, used a 22-year-old woman as a human shield to escape with approximately $19,000 in cash. During a recent court mention, the crown prosecutor noted that one of the robbery victims expressed a desire to attend the sentencing in person.

Macdonald, who is 76, attempted to represent himself virtually from prison, citing physical disabilities and mobility issues. However, Acting Judge Michael King ruled that the defendant is required to attend the proceedings in person.