Bio

Gunn-Britt Ashfield was born in 1968. She later changed her name to Angelic Karstrom. She lived in Nowra on the New South Wales south coast.

She was the mother of five children. Her son was named John and her daughter was named Melissa. The children's father was Brian Ashfield. At one time her partner was Austin Allan Hughes.

The family came to the attention of the New South Wales Department of Community Services. Records show there were about 35 notifications about the home. Brian Ashfield told the department he was worried and said his wife could be violent.

Gunn-Britt asked the department to take the children away, saying she "felt violent" toward them. Her daughter Melissa later spent time in foster care and other placements as she grew up.

Murder Story

On August 5, 1993, in Nowra, New South Wales, six-year-old John Ashfield was beaten by his mother, Gunn-Britt Ashfield, and her partner Austin Allan Hughes. They beat him with a hammer and placed a telephone book on his head while hitting it. The assault lasted for several hours and was witnessed by John's siblings.

John was taken to Shoalhaven Hospital and then flown to Westmead Hospital. He was brain dead on arrival and died the next day. Doctors recorded more than 100 bruises on his body and head.

After the assault, Ashfield and Hughes told other people a story that John had been attacked by teenagers in a park. They told the other children to repeat that story. One of the older children went on television with the false account.

Police charged Ashfield and Hughes with murder shortly after John died. Both pleaded guilty. In 1994 they were sentenced to 21 years in prison. On appeal their sentences were reduced to 19 years, with a minimum of 14 years to be served.

Records show that the Department of Community Services had received many notifications about the family before John's death. Ashfield had told authorities she felt violent and had asked for the children to be taken from her care.

Ashfield later changed her name to Angelic Karstrom while in prison. Her partner, Austin Allan Hughes, was released in 2009. Karstrom was released on parole on August 15, 2011, after serving about 18 years. Her parole conditions included electronic monitoring, drug and alcohol testing, a curfew, counselling, and bans on visiting the Illawarra and Hunter regions and being in the company of anyone under 16. She was also prohibited from visiting John's grave. Family members publicly opposed her release.