Brenden Abbott is Australia’s longest serving prisoner not convicted of murder, with his release still to be determined after 28 years in jail.
Known as the Postcard Bandit, the Western Australian bank robber and prison escapee is one of Australia’s most notorious criminal masterminds.
Now, Binge is releasing a two-part documentary called The Postcard Bandit, which will examine it all.
We will even hear from the man behind the criminal legend.
Find out more about it below.
Is The Postcard Bandit worth watching?
The adrenaline-charged documentary will follow Abbott’s crime spree and provide never-before-seen access to the man behind it all.
As a part of the documentary, we will see exclusive footage of Abbott, marking the first time he has spoken about his exploits.
“From heists to escapes and the personal lives of those caught in the crossfire, this documentary series is the most unbelievable true crime story brought to life,”Executive Producer and Head of Unscripted, Foxtel Group, Howard Myers-Rifai said.
“Producing a premium true crime series alongside the scripted series, we will give viewers an in-depth account of Abbott’s life and outrageous escapades, insight into the mind of a criminal, as well as the price he paid personally and for the people and loved ones left behind.”
A press release from Binge said it will also feature exclusive interviews with close family members, eyewitnesses, and “individuals on both sides of the law who crossed his path”.
How much money did Brenden Abbott steal?
Abbott’s notoriety began as a teenager when he committed a string of bank robberies in the 1980s.
For his heists, he memorised building layouts, observed staff, staked out banks, created fake IDs, and donned disguises.
After he was sentenced to 10 years behind bars and convicted of robbery while being armed, he escaped Fremantle Prison in 1989.
How, you may ask?
By crafting and wearing a prison officer’s uniform, and cutting through the bars of the tailor’s workshop, before strolling out of the prison’s grounds.
Before that, he took six prison officers hostage and assaulted them during a riot.
While he was on the run in the 1990s, he mailed photos of himself to his friends and family. At the time, the photos were also obtained by the police, which earned him his infamous nickname.
“It captured the imagination of a lot of people in Australia, and it turned Abbott into, I suspect, a little bit of a folk hero,” his lawyer, Chris Nyst, previously said.
During his criminal career, Abbott held up more than 40 banks and made off with about $5 million in cash.
How did Brenden Abbott get caught?
In 1995, he was caught on the Gold Coast and detained in Queensland’s Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.
At the time, he was charged with a number of armed robberies in Queensland.
A year later, he was sentenced to nine years behind bars for an armed robbery that he committed in January 1995, and then sentenced to nine years for an armed robbery he committed in April 1992.
Not only that, but he was also sentenced for another robbery he committed in 1993, on Christmas Eve.
Abbott then escaped from the Sir David Longland Correctional Centre in 1997 and was captured six months later in Darwin.
At the time, he used angel wire that had been smuggled in to him and then cutters that were thrown over the perimeter fence by a friend and former inmate.
He then returned to Brisbane to serve his time. In 2004, he was granted approval to be transferred to Perth to serve his sentence closer to his family, but the request was declined by Western Australian authorities.
Eleven years later, a parole application was rejected.
He then faced the Brisbane Supreme Court to challenge the decision in his fourth parole application in 2016.
During that same year, he was granted parole in March and then released in April, but was rearrested and transferred to his home state.
Is the Postcard Bandit still in jail?
Abbott is in maximum security at Perth’s Casuarina Prison, and has been since May 2016.
The 63-year-old is eligible for parole in October 2026.
In July 2025, he launched a challenge against the state’s Supreme Court. His son James Laycock, who Abbott fathered on the run, said it was time for his father to be free.
“Having my father around would be great. Haven’t had it before. So wait to see what happens,” his son said.
Binge also said that the documentary will also examine the complicated relationship between the father and son.
In a letter published in the ABC in 2003, he said he’d do things differently.
“If I could turn back the clock, I’d love to have been a doctor or a lawyer, or anything other than a criminal who now spends his days in a prison cell,” he wrote.
Where can I watch The Postcard Bandit documentary?
The documentary will be released in two one-hour parts on Binge on January 7, 2026, at 8.30pm.
The series was produced by WBITVP Australia, with Stephen McCallum serving as both producer and director. Howard Myers-Rifai and WBITVP Australia’s Johnny Lowry and Tom Rohr are also the executive producers.
“This is one of the most extraordinary and gripping true crime stories in Australian history, and with our unparalleled access, it’s set to be an unforgettable documentary series,” Johnny said.
“We’ll take viewers on a fast-paced journey into Abbott’s life of crime, whilst also exploring the ongoing ramifications on himself and his family.”
Binge also gave the green light to a drama series about him in June.
Titled Run, it will star George Mason, Robyn Malcolm, Keiynan Lonsdale, and Ashleigh Cummings, and will also be released on January 1, 2026.
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