Adam Drollett's attempt to escape from court meant no chances were taken at his sentencing.

Adam Drollett left NZ with his family, aged three, and established his criminal career in Australia.

In his early 30s, at the end of a seven year jail sentence for robbery, he was deported from Australia to his country of birth, escorted through customs, then freed.

Six weeks later he robbed a bank.

SUPPLIED Security photo police issued from the robbery of Kilbirnie ASB bank in June.

Drollett's lawyer says he was not given any information about getting an income, social services, "or any support whatsoever".

In Wellington District Court on Friday Drollett was sentenced to five years and six months' jail on charges that included two bank robberies and trying to escape from a courtroom dock while he had a sharpened tent peg. He has to serve at least half the sentence before he can be considered for parole.

His lawyer, Chris Nicholls, asked for the focus to turn to rehabilitation, for Drollett's sake and for the public's. "He is stuck with us and we are stuck with him."

SUPPLIED Drollett caught going for the money at a bank in June.

However, Crown lawyer Matthew Ferrier said that even in Australia, where Drollett presumably did have support, since age 17 he had spent just one year out of prison. Serious violent crime was a way of life.

Because Drollett, full name Adam Paora Tama Ikureo Drollett, now 33, had tried to escape his sentencing took place in a secure courtroom in the basement of the Wellington District Court.

Nicholls said Drollett knew no-one in New Zealand when he was sent back on February 24. He had a sister in Rotorua who he had never known. Eventually strangers helped him access a welfare benefit.

Judge Jan Kelly said on April 7, at the BNZ branch in Papatoetoe, Auckland, Drollett told a teller he had a weapon and demanded money. When the teller said her register took a minute to open Drollett went to another teller whose register was already open. She slammed the drawer on his hands as he grabbed money, but Drollett was still able to leave with an unknown amount of money.

On June 12, at the ASB branch in Kilbirnie, Wellington, Drollett was armed with a knife with a retractable blade, he told the tellers to step back from their registers, and took $200.

Drollett was identified later from security camera footage at the banks, the judge said.

On June 26 Drollett was in Miramar and went into the yard of a rental car company. He was looking into a shipping container when the manager asked him to leave. Drollett said, "Why don't you just shoot me? I'm going to shoot you."

Drollett left and he was arrested soon after, with a useable amount of methamphetamine and a drug-smoking pipe.

By July 20 Drollett was back in court and when he was told he was being refused bail he jumped from the dock, kicking a Corrections officer in the chest and punching a police prosecutor in the eye. He was caught in the public waiting area.

He had a metal tent peg with the end sharpened to a point, sparking an inquiry into how he had it when he had come to court from Rimutaka Prison.

Drollett pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, robbery, demanding with intent to steal, unlawfully being in an enclosed yard, intimidation, possession of a drug pipe, two charges of aggravated assault, possession of an offensive weapon, and escaping custody.

His convictions in Australia are understood to include 10 of robbery, two assault with intent to rob, and one of assaulting a law officer.