Man jailed for brutal hammer attack

A Cambridge farm worker who refused to accept his relationship was over and attacked his ex-girlfriend’s new partner with a hammer has been jailed for more than six years.

Ryan Joseph Wenzlick, whose relationship with Portia Ashton ended after a volatile three years together, appeared in the High Court at Hamilton yesterday for sentencing on charges of attempted murder and assault of a woman he was in a family relationship with.

Court documents show the pair broke up in March last year and continued to see each other for some time before Ashton told him she was seeing other people in late July.

Wenzlick began making frequent unannounced visits to her home and sending “prolific text messages” including describing himself as a “love struck psycho”, saying he wanted to reunite with her and her children, and making threats about any other men she might be seeing.

On the afternoon of July 29, Wenzlick went to Ashton’s Cambridge house, and lurked outside for hours, texting and knocking on windows to get her attention.

Later on, when he saw Ashton’s new partner Daniel Buckeridge go to the bathroom, he entered the house and hugged Ashton from the side of her bed. She looked down to see him next to her and ignored him but when Buckeridge returned, she rolled over to hug him and they went to sleep.

Wenzlick later left but returned about 9am and found the pair still in bed. He then struck Buckeridge with the hammer around the head at least five times, using “considerable force”. Ashton tried to intervene but was inadvertently struck.

Buckeridge suffered a severe brain injury, several skull fractures, and has since had a bolt inserted into his skull. He requires intensive occupational, speech and physical therapy.

Crown prosecutor Jacinda Hamilton said the offending appeared to stem from Wenzlick’s inability to accept his relationship was over and his regular use of methamphetamine with Ashton when they were together.

Defence counsel Tom Sutcliffe said his client was genuinely remorseful and wished he could turn back time.

Justice Tracey Walker gave him discounts totalling 40 per cent for his guilty plea, remorse, upbringing, mental health issues and potential to rehabilitate, and jailed him for six years and four months.