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Archived Press Releases 2008 15th July 2008

Killer on witness protection to be paroled

(15th July 2008)

A career criminal who killed a young woman while he was on the Police witness program is eligible for parole in March, and that has angered the Victims family and the organization supporting them.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust say it was bad enough that 20 year-old Debbie Ashton was killed by Jonathon Barclay after a series of bungles and cover-ups by Police, Probation Services and the criminal's own defence lawyer, but it was adding insult to injury to allow Barclay to apply for parole at one-third of his sentence.

Trust Spokesman Garth McVicar said career criminal Jonathon Barclay was sentenced to 5 years 6 months for causing Ms Ashton’s death but would be able to apply for parole in March.

"Here we have a family who have lost their daughter due to a series of bungles and cover-ups by Government Officials being re-victimized and re-traumatized by a totally uncaring Parole system."

Mr McVicar said the Ashton family have been unable to grieve the loss of their daughter as they have been forced to fight Government Departments who tried desperately to hide and cover up the truth.

"This litany of lies and deception was only revealed after an explosive report by QC Kristy McDonald after the Ashton family became suspicious of what they were being told about the events surrounding the death of their daughter."

"The 5 year 6 month sentence for the death of Debbie Ashton was an absolute insult anyway, considering the facts that her killer was a career criminal on parole and under the auspices of the Police Witness program - this whole debacle has made an absolute mockery of the Justice process."

"The Justice System of New Zealand has been designed by a bunch of bureaucrats to unload the prisons no matter the consequences to the public and the victims."

"The real criminals in this fiasco are those who allowed Barclay the freedom to kill Debbie Ashton and those who designed the system that enables him to apply for parole just 20 months after killing her."

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.