No help for killer in jail

JONATHON Allan Barclay, who killed Debbie Ashton in a car crash while he was in police witness protection, is unable to complete prison rehabilitation programmes because of fears for his safety.

Barclay killed Debbie when the speeding car he was driving crossed the centre line and smashed head-on into her vehicle at Hope, near Nelson, on December 5, 2006.

He is serving a five-and-a-half-year sentence for manslaughter, dangerous driving causing injury, conspiring to defeat the course of justice and two counts of driving while disqualified.

Barclay appeared before the Parole Board earlier this month. He was denied early release.

The Parole Board report revealed Barclay was being protected from fellow prisoners.

"He is not able to attend a serious in-prison programme by way of interventions in the ordinary way," the report states. "He is not able to do that because of the constant threats which are being made to him by other prisoners. He has suffered a number of assaults and threats in prison."

Barclay has an extensive criminal history, being convicted of 72 offences in a 12-year span. At his March 2 hearing, he told the Parole Board "about 90%" were committed while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Before Debbie's death, Barclay was paroled in May 2006. On July 18 he was relocated to Nelson and given a new identity under the witness protection scheme.

Eight days later he was stopped by police for driving offences.

On October 11 he was disqualified from driving for 18 months and given a final warning. But the next week he was stopped again by police and charged with drink-driving – under his witness protection name.

Barclay was convicted of the charge on November 7 but he failed to disclose his real identity and was treated as a first offender. Instead of being sent back to jail, he was fined $500 and disqualified for six months. Less than one month later, Debbie Ashton was dead.

- © Fairfax NZ News