Man admits Downey murder

Kerry Downey. Photo / Supplied

The killer of cat protection worker Kerry Leigh Downey has admitted her murder, 10 days before he was due to stand trial.

Ashley Donald Peach, 42, pleaded guilty to the murder charge at a pre-trial session before Justice Graham Panckhurst in the High Court in Christchurch today and was remanded in custody for sentence on December 3.

Crown prosecutor Pip Currie said the Crown would seek more than the standard 10-year term for murder, though it would not seek a term as long as 17 years.

A probation report has been ordered for the sentencing and defence counsel Pip Hall said he would also have a psychiatric report available for the court.

Family and friends of the victim said outside the court they were how relieved there would not be a trial.

"Details of the trial would have been a lot to bear," said one supporter.

"It's been a very long 15 months."

Robin Thomson of the Cats Protection League said: "We are very relieved that the family of Kerry don't have to go through the ordeal of a trial, but it doesn't bring Kerry back. We are still very stunned about what happened."

She said the murder had changed the way cat protection workers went about their business. There were now more safety procedures in place.

Peach thanked the judge as he made his way back to the cells.

The Crown called evidence from 29 witnesses during the depositions hearing in January, to show how Peach had phoned about an unwanted cat and Ms Downey had gone to his Upper Riccarton flat to pick it up about 7pm on August 18.

She was seen arriving there carrying a cat cage.

When she did not arrive at work the next day, her colleagues began making inquiries to find her, including telephoning Peach.

Her body was found at 8am on August 20, down a bank on Worsley Road, Westmorland, on the Port Hills.

The Crown believed she had been attacked and killed in Peach's flat, and her own car had been used to carry her body to where it was dumped.

Two men in the flat above Peach's gave evidence of hearing a woman scream that evening.

She was linked to the flat by blood and vomit found on three towels at the flat, and three items of clothing and her handbag, wallet, and documents, including her Fly Buys card and her Cats Protection League notebook.

Police noticed scratches on Peach's arm and there was red hair on the carpet and on adhesive tape found at the flat and in the rubbish skip at the block of flats.

Two Cats Protection League cages were found at the flat.

A pathologist's report said the primary cause of Ms Downey's death was "a homicidal assault including neck compression most probably by manual strangulation".

- NZPA