Murder of Liam Ashley

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Liam Ashley
Liam Ashley

On 24 August 2006, a prisoner from North Shore City, Auckland[1] named George Charlie Baker fatally injured a 17-year old North Shore boy[2][3] named Liam John Ashley[4] in a New Zealand prison van; the murder lead to criticism of the methods of transporting prisoners in New Zealand.

Contents

[edit] Background

Liam Ashley's parents, Ian and Lorraine Ashley, pressed criminal charges against the son after the boy used the mother's car without the family's permission; the family denied bail in order for the son to be sent to prison as a way to correct the boy's behaviour and prevent additional "minor misdemeanours."[5] His parents believed that, after Ashley experienced "minor trouble" with New Zealand laws, the prison system would be the safest place for Ashley.[6]

[edit] Murder

The prison authorities placed Ashley in one of four compartments of a prison van operated by Chubb Security, a company operating under a contract with the New Zealand officials[7], scheduled to transport the prisoners from North Shore District Court to Auckland Central Remand Prison at Mt Eden. Ashley shared the compartment with two other men; Baker, one of the others, had the classification of a dangerous criminal.[8] Baker attacked Ashley, strangling and stomping on the boy. The victim sustained brain injuries and the family chose to remove Ashley from life support at 10:30 on the following day; Ashley died at 10:45 on 25 August.[9][10] Baker said that he attacked Ashley because he believed the boy was a "nark."[11]

[edit] Aftermath

Baker admitted to killing Ashley and received a minimum 18 year sentence.[11] Damien O'Connor, the corrections minister, described the fatal injury as "senseless" and "preventable."[12]

Chubb faced criticism in the aftermath of the attack.[7] In June 2007 the company announced that it no longer wishes to transport prisoners as per the contract.[13]

In 2007, John Belgrave, chief ombudsmen of the New Zealand Department of Corrections and Mel Smith, the ombudsman of the department, conducted an inquiry into the Department of Corrections' policy for transporting prisoners, following the murder.[14] Belgrave described the Corrections' policy of transporting prisoners as "inhumane", and ordered a review of the the prisoner transport system.[15] After the publication of the report Simon Power, a Justice & Corrections spokesman, asked O'Connor to resign due to the shortcomings in his department; Power did not say that O'Connor was directly responsible for Ashley's death. Power criticized the system for failing to keep Ashley, a first time offender, and Baker, a high-risk prisoner, separated.[16]

In response to Ashley's death New Zealand authorities began testing waist prisoner restraints.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Liam Ashley parents praised." NZCity.
  2. ^ "'It's my fault - I should have shut my mouth' THE LIAM ASHLEY MURDER." Sunday Star Times.
  3. ^ "City prisoners to travel in style." The Southland Times.
  4. ^ "Liam Ashley Report: Findings And PDF." Scoop.
  5. ^ "Justice system last resort for parents of murdered teenager." The New Zealand Herald. 1.
  6. ^ "Dead teen "gentle and kind"." NewstalkZB.
  7. ^ a b "Chubb guards investigated over missing $200,000." Stuff.co.nz.
  8. ^ "Justice system last resort for parents of murdered teenager." The New Zealand Herald. 2."
  9. ^ a b "Waist restraints for prisoners introduced." Fairfax New Zealand.
  10. ^ "Grieving mothers condemn Corrections." TVNZ.
  11. ^ a b "Liam Ashley's killer gets at least 18 years." The New Zealand Herald.
  12. ^ "Liam Ashley's Death Preventable - O'Connor." Scoop.
  13. ^ "Chubb security wants out of prisoner transport contract." TV3.
  14. ^ "Report into Liam Ashley's murder to be released today." TV3.
  15. ^ "Waist restraints for prisoners introduced." NZPA.
  16. ^ "Report strengthens call for Minister to resign." Scoop.

[edit] External links

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