Sydney, Australia – A man accused of killing a young female teacher he met through a dating app was discovered dead in his cell at the Clarence Correctional Centre. The man, identified as Ashley Gaddie, 35, was found unresponsive on a Saturday afternoon.
Gaddie’s death occurred 16 months after he was accused of strangling Dannielle Finlay-Jones at her friend’s home in Cranebrook, on December 18, 2022. Authorities reported that Gaddie was found dead in his room by prison staff and was pronounced deceased at 4:04 pm.
Gaddie and Ms. Finlay-Jones allegedly met on a dating app and had gone on two dates before the incident. Police claims suggest that they attended a social event together before heading to Ms. Finlay-Jones’ friend’s home, where the tragic incident took place.
According to court documents, Ms. Finlay-Jones was discovered lifeless on the bedroom floor with bruising on her face and finger impressions on her throat. Police suspect that she was murdered either during or after a reported instance of “loud violent sex” heard by a witness.
After fleeing the scene following Ms. Finlay-Jones’ death, Gaddie was later found standing on a cliff edge at Fletcher’s Lookout in the NSW Blue Mountains. After a 12-hour standoff, he was eventually arrested and charged with murder.
Gaddie’s past revealed a history of violence against women, including a prior conviction for stalking and choking a former girlfriend. At the time of Ms. Finlay-Jones’ death, he was serving a two-year sentence for the previous assault and was out on bail for another incident.
The circumstances surrounding Gaddie’s death in prison are currently under investigation by Serco, Corrective Services NSW, and the NSW Police. Every death in custody is subject to a coronial inquest to determine the cause and circumstances of the individual’s passing.