Alice Springs man Darren Ashley found guilty of the stabbing murder of his wife, Kirsty Ashley
DARREN Ashley has been found guilty of murdering his estranged wife Kirsty in May 2012, after less than three hours of jury deliberation
Northern Territory
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DARREN Ashley has been found guilty of murdering his estranged wife Kirsty in May 2012, after less than three hours of jury deliberation.
The retrial was the second time Ashley had been found guilty, after the Court of Criminal Appeal in 2014 ordered the original verdict quashed and a retrial to be held.
Ms Ashley was found brutally murdered just over three weeks after she left Mr Ashley, and a day after police served him with an application for a domestic violence order.
Ashley maintained his innocence to the charge of murder, but took the stand to say he killed Ms Ashley in self defence.
The unanimous jury verdict represents a rejection of his testimony, which he admitted was inconsistent with what he told police.
Justice Dean Mildren ordered a pre-sentence report for Ashley.
Ashley faces a mandatory life sentence with at least a minimum 20-year non parole period.
His sentencing proceedings will be mentioned on January 30, with a view to sentencing him in early late February or early March.
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