4 Aug 2010

Hungarian appeals length of manslaughter sentence

7:48 pm on 4 August 2010

A Hungarian jailed for at least eight years over the death of an Auckland man has told the Court of Appeal he is not a homophobe, nor does he use violence to solve problems.

Ferdinand Ambach represented himself at an appeal against the sentence imposed on him for the manslaughter of Ronald Brown in December 2007.

Ambach was charged with the 69-year-old's murder but a jury found him guilty of manslaughter after his lawyer raised the defence of provocation, suggesting Mr that Brown had attempted to rape Ambach.

Ambach met Mr Brown at an Auckland bar in December 2007 and returned home with him. Mr Brown's battered body was found in his flat the next day. He later died in hospital.

Ambach was sentenced to serve at least eight years of a 12-year jail sentence.

On Wednesday, he told the Court of Appeal that he did not express remorse at the trial because his lawyer instructed him not to show any emotion.

Ambach also said he was never told that he could plead guilty to Mr Brown's manslaughter, rather than going to trial.

The court has adjourned the hearing to allow Ambach to produce further evidence about that.