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Home / New Zealand

Hungarian tourist who killed pensioner deported

NZ Herald
27 Feb, 2016 12:47 AM2 mins to read

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Ferdinand Ambach was convicted of manslaughter in May 2009 - killing 69-year-old Auckland man Ronald Brown in brutal fashion. Photo / Wayne Drought

Ferdinand Ambach was convicted of manslaughter in May 2009 - killing 69-year-old Auckland man Ronald Brown in brutal fashion. Photo / Wayne Drought

The Hungarian tourist who killed a Kiwi pensioner by ramming a banjo into his mouth has been deported.

Ferdinand Ambach was convicted of manslaughter in May 2009 -- killing 69-year-old Auckland man Ronald Brown in brutal fashion.

Mr Ambach went on trial for murder but was convicted of manslaughter after saying he was provoked into the attack by an unwanted sexual advance.

After serving eight years of a 12-year sentence, Mr Ambach has been deported back to Hungary with a decision by the New Zealand Parole Board declaring he is "ashamed of his behaviour and shows genuine remorse".

Mr Ambach, who was on a tourist visa, was drinking with Mr Brown on December 7, 2007, at a suburban Auckland bar before they went to Mr Brown's Onehunga flat.

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A violent argument erupted and Mr Brown, 69, was bashed repeatedly with a banjo before the neck of the instrument was rammed down his throat.

He died in hospital three days later after his life support system was switched off.

The defence case was that the accused, 31, was provoked by two unwanted sexual advances by Mr Brown, who was gay, and that attention, and the effects of his drink having been spiked, caused him to act in an involuntary way where he wasn't in control of his actions.

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"Mr Ambach has spent eight years in prison. He has demonstrated extremely good behaviour. There have been no incidents of violence," the Parole Board decision said.

"Given the progress that Mr Ambach has made, the board does not consider him an undue risk to the community and parole will be granted. That will be for the purposes that he be deported to Hungary."

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