Wed 4 Aug 2010 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Ferdinand Ambach - NZ Herald 11.45am: Ferdinand Ambach will this afternoon appeal his minimum eight year jail sentence for the manslaughter of gay Auckland man Ronald Brown. After a night out drinking in December 2007, the Hungarian dive master bashed Brown to death with a banjo his Onehunga home, before ramming the instrument down the 69-year-old's throat. A jury acquitted him of murder and found him guilty of manslaughter, after his defence successfully used the now defunct provocation or ‘gay panic' defence, arguing Brown had made unwanted sexual advances. Ambach is expected to represent himself at the Court of Appeal hearing in Wellington this afternoon. His appeal is on the grounds the sentence is excessive. The appeal is being heard by Justice Ellen France, Justice Gendall and Justice Courtenay. Ambach's murder acquittal was among the cases which led the Government to repeal the provocation defence. GayNZ.com will have updates from court this afternoon after the hearing commences. It was this morning scheduled to start at 2.15pm.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 4th August 2010 - 11:45am