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Offender Databases Ashley Peach

Ashley Donald Peach

Alias

.

Offences

The murder of Kerry Downey in Christchurch in August 2008
Group assault on an intellectually disabled woman in 2000
Also drink driving convictions

Victims

Kerry Downey

Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1967

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to life with a 13 year minimum non-parole period in December 2009
Eligible for parole August 2021

Background
NZ Herald story here
This Listener article has a brief summary of this case
August 2008: Animal rescue worker Kerry Downey, 52, was attacked and killed at the home of Ashley Peach, 41. He had phoned to say he had an unwanted cat and Downey went to his Riccarton flat to collect it. When she did not arrive at work the next day her co-workers started making inquiries, including phoning Peach. Her body was found dumped in the Port Hills two days later. Eight years earlier Peach was convicted for assaulting an intellectually disabled woman. At his sentencing the judge noted Peach himself was also intellectually disabled.

From the Christchurch Press 30th January 2001
A man who took part in a group assault on an intellectually handicapped woman is himself intellectually disabled, the Christchurch District Court has heard. Judge Stephen Erber said Ashley Donald Peach, 33, unemployed, was disabled to a lesser extent than the complainant, but it was a factor which caused behaviour that "would be unusual in a person without disabilities". The judge found that the defendant was responsible for punching the woman on an arm and kicking her in the back.

A number of other people, along with the defendant, had "ganged up on" the woman in repeated attacks over a 24-hour period, which caused her severe bruising. Peach had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault. In sentencing him to eight months periodic detention and 12 months supervision, Judge Erber took into account that the man had already spent eight weeks in custody.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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