Reynold Glover: Australia’s Baddest Man | Inside the Heists, Betrayals & Final Fall

For over a decade, the name Reynolds Glover was shrouded in mystery, hidden behind court orders, sealed files, and a media blackout. Known only as “Australia’s baddest man,” his story was a blend of brutal heists, underworld wars, and a relentless quest for power. In this detailed account, we explore how a boy from the tough streets of Sydney’s Marrickville evolved into a criminal mastermind whose empire would ultimately crumble through betrayal, prison conspiracies, and a final act of vengeance.

Table of Contents

• The Making of a Criminal
• Breaking Banks and Building a Crew
• The Cash Van Heists: Sydney Under Siege
• Mr. X and the Safe House
• Revenge from Behind Bars
• Final Acts of Violence
• Conviction & Legacy
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Making of a Criminal

Reynolds Glover’s story begins far from the gleaming towers and glittering harbours of Sydney. Born and raised in the cracked pavements and backstreets of Marrickville, in the city’s inner west, Glover grew up in a challenging environment. Raised by a single mother struggling to hold things together, life offered few chances for redemption or fresh starts.

From a young age, trouble wasn’t something Reynolds sought—it found him. He was sent to Dee Olledge Hills, a school for children with emotional and behavioural problems, which acted more as a survival training ground than a place of healing. By the age of twelve, Glover had graduated from petty theft to standing trial for murder.

"In 1999, Reynolds and two other teenagers broke into the home of 56-year-old Ralph Terrence Mason. What started as a robbery turned into a bloodbath. Mason was beaten and stabbed to death."

Though arrested and charged with murder, the evidence was thin and messy. Glover spent 176 days in jail awaiting trial but eventually pleaded guilty to robbery, receiving a suspended two-year sentence. This moment was the system’s first chance to intervene—but instead, it became Glover’s initiation into a life of crime, teaching him how to break rules, beat charges, and get smarter each time.

Breaking Banks and Building a Crew

By 2005, Reynolds Glover had graduated from juvenile mischief to headline-grabbing crimes. His first major act of violence was storming a Bendigo Bank branch in Randwick with a sledgehammer, smashing his way in like a man possessed. Just six weeks later, he escalated his criminal activities, armed and calm, as he held up the Hunters Hill Hotel during a late-night heist.

Though caught and imprisoned, prison didn’t break Glover. Instead, it became a networking ground. Released in 2008, he emerged colder and more calculated, building connections and respect within Sydney’s underworld. He formed a ruthless crew of young criminals, soldiers in his private war, targeting high-risk, high-reward operations with paramilitary precision.

Their calling card? A trail of stolen cash, shattered windshields, and gunsmith tactics. The groundwork was laid. The crew was ready. What followed was not just bold—it was historic.

The Cash Van Heists: Sydney Under Siege

In early 2009, Sydney faced a wave of surgical armed robberies that left police scrambling and the public on edge. On 20 April 2009, Glover’s crew breached the Lane Cove Chubb Base, a fortified depot considered impenetrable. They climbed fences, hid among boxes, and when a delivery truck arrived, they forced the guard at gunpoint to crash it through the security gate. Waiting outside was a stolen Audi, the perfect getaway vehicle. Within minutes, they vanished with over two million dollars.

By the time police arrived, the robbers were ghosts. But their downfall began with a maintenance worker, Wayne Geddes, who found four paper dockets stamped with the Chubb logo in a South Sydney car park. These scraps of paper became the thread detectives pulled to unravel the entire operation.

Not done yet, the crew struck again on 25 May 2009, this time with brazen confidence. They drove a stolen BMW through the front gate of Cranbrook School, one of Sydney’s most prestigious institutions, and waited almost two hours for the armored guard truck. The ambush failed when the truck’s internal security kicked in, and the robbers fled with just $3,000 as sirens wailed in the distance.

Mr. X and the Safe House

Investigators connected the dots from the dockets to a luxury apartment complex, Meritan Tower, a criminal headquarters for Glover’s crew and a major drug trafficker known only as Mr. X. Police raids uncovered kilograms of heroin, military-grade weapons, bulletproof vests, and hidden stashes tucked away in dryers and under floorboards—armories disguised as Airbnbs.

When police stormed the apartment on 30 July 2009, they found not only drugs but also cash canisters matching stolen loot, clothing, and getaway cars tied to the robberies. Mr. X, a kingpin whose empire was built on quiet corruption, tried to run but was caught on 11 August. Under intense pressure, he folded, revealing everything about Glover’s crew, their operations, and hideouts.

With this critical intelligence, police moved fast. On 21 August 2009, they raided Glover’s luxury waterfront penthouse, finding the final pieces of the puzzle: a BMW car key linked to a robbery getaway vehicle, a black balaclava, and a newspaper with one of the robberies circled in red ink.

Revenge from Behind Bars

August 2009 marked Glover’s imprisonment, but the fight was far from over. From behind bars, he orchestrated a chilling campaign of witness intimidation targeting Mr. X, the informant who betrayed him. Glover’s emissaries confronted Mr. X at a McDonald’s, delivering a grim ultimatum: recant testimony, flee the country, or face dire consequences.

Mr. X feigned compliance while secretly working with police. Every threat and instruction from Glover’s prison cell was recorded, revealing a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. A chilling intercepted message warned, “The Assyrians have been contacted. Someone in Mr. X’s family is going to get hurt.”

On 14 April 2010, Glover and three associates were charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, adding a second case to the already massive charges for the multi-million-dollar armed robberies.

Final Acts of Violence

Released in March 2013 after nearly four years, Glover was back on the streets and back to business. This time, he wasn’t just pulling strings—he was on the front lines, mentoring Omar Hawchar, a relative of one of Sydney’s most feared inmates.

However, a botched heist at Broadway Shopping Centre saw the crew spooked and empty-handed. The failure was compounded days later when Glover sought revenge on Bilal Hamzy, cousin of crime boss Bassem Hamzy, for stealing $5,000 from Glover’s mother while he was behind bars.

Unable to lure Bilal out, Glover opened fire on the house, unleashing 31 rounds into the front door. Tragically, Bilal’s aunt, Maha Hamzy, was hit eight times but survived. The next day, Glover bragged about the shooting during a jail visit, unaware that every word was secretly recorded.

Conviction & Legacy

On 28 October 2014, after years of courtroom battles and suppression orders, Glover was found guilty of shooting with intent to murder. Judge Penny Hock condemned his actions, stating, “You showed no regard for life. You acted with calculated malice.” Glover was sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison, with a non-parole period of 16 years.

In July 2015, an additional four-year sentence was handed down for threatening Mr. X, a consequence of the conspiracy he orchestrated from his jail cell. Despite appeals, the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal shut the door on Glover’s hopes for release in March 2017.

Now confined behind ten-inch-thick concrete in Goulburn’s Supermax prison, the man who once outwitted police and built a criminal empire lives out his days in silence. In July 2023, Glover finally pleaded guilty to the Broadway armed robbery, bringing one last chapter to a saga marked by violence, betrayal, and survival.

Reynolds Glover wanted to be untouchable—and in some ways, he was. But even legends fall, not in cinematic gunfights or daring escapes, but in whispers, courtrooms, and the cold mechanical sound of a cell locking shut.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who is Reynolds Glover?

Reynolds Glover is a notorious Australian criminal known as “Australia’s baddest man.” Starting from a troubled childhood in Sydney’s Marrickville, he evolved into a mastermind behind violent armed robberies, drug trafficking, and witness intimidation.

What were some of Glover’s most infamous crimes?

Glover orchestrated high-profile cash-in-transit heists, including the 2009 Lane Cove Chubb Base robbery where over two million dollars were stolen. He also led a crew that conducted brazen armed robberies and was involved in drug trafficking through safe houses.

Who was Mr. X and what role did he play?

Mr. X was a major drug trafficker and informant whose betrayal helped police dismantle Glover’s criminal empire. His cooperation with authorities led to Glover’s arrest and charges for conspiracy and armed robbery.

What was the outcome of Reynolds Glover’s legal battles?

Glover was convicted of multiple charges including shooting with intent to murder and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. He was sentenced to over 21 years in prison and remains incarcerated in a Supermax facility.

Is Reynolds Glover still involved in criminal activity?

While imprisoned, Glover attempted to orchestrate intimidation campaigns against witnesses, but his ability to operate has been severely curtailed by his incarceration.

What lessons can be drawn from Reynolds Glover’s story?

Glover’s life illustrates how early intervention failures can escalate into extensive criminal careers. His story also highlights the complex interplay between underworld violence, police investigations, and the criminal justice system.