Ashley Kemp Wiki – Ashley Kemp Biography

A skydiver who murdered his girlfriend after she confronted him about the alleged rape of a teenage girl at work has been jailed for life. Ashley Kemp was jailed for a minimum of 19 years by a judge who told her she had shown “nothing but self-pity to the end.” The 55-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Clair Armstrong, 50, a mother of three who was also a skydiving instructor and beauty salon owner.

Kemp, a skydiving instructor and pilot, placed his hands around Ms Armstrong’s neck “for what seemed like forever” so that “no one else could have her,” it was heard. Judge John Thackray KC said the relationship was ending and Kemp had decided that “if you couldn’t have her, no one could”.  The court heard how a teenager had made sexual accusations against the defendant that led to the loss of his job and put a great strain on the couple’s relationship.

Sentencing him at Hull Crown Court, Judge Thackray said the circumstances of the attack on Mrs Armstrong’s home in Messingham, north Lincolnshire, were “devastating, tragic and brutal”. He showed no emotion as sentence was handed down at Hull Crown Court this afternoon as family members of the victim, Mrs Armstrong, sobbed in the public gallery.

Earlier, Ms Armstrong’s brother-in-law, Ian Farrell, said in a victim impact statement: “On November 6, 2022, our lives were changed forever. ‘We received news that has shattered all of us and has left a great void in our lives that can never be filled. Clair, our beautiful sister and mother, was tragically taken from us under circumstances so horrible that we will never accept or understand.

“We miss her incredibly and no matter what the person responsible for killing Clair receives in punishment, it will never be enough to ease our pain of losing her.

Ashley Kemp Age

The age of Ashley Kemp is 55 years.

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Ashley Kemp accused of raping and killing girl friend

“The day we lost Clair was the day our lives changed forever.” Recalling how Mrs. Armstrong was murdered in her own home, he continued: “It was a place where she should have felt safe. “But ultimately, it was where he stole her security,” she added, turning to face Kemp on the secure dock, dressed in a suit and tie.

Mr. Farrell continued: ‘It is unbearable to understand. Her youngest son, who at 14, an age when she needs her most, has had her mother ripped from her life. ‘Since that horrible moment in November, we can’t remember a day that we haven’t cried. We can’t remember a day when we laughed.

We cannot remember a day that is not filled with pain and heartache. So many days are clouded with sadness and will never be the same again.’ Kemp admitted to the manslaughter but denied the murder, leading to a six-day trial at Grimsby Crown Court which ended with a guilty verdict on Tuesday last week.

In today’s statement from him, Mr Farrell continued: ‘He did not have the decency to admit what he had done. ‘Unfortunately, he did not have the courage to do that. As a result, we hear absolutely horrifying accounts and details about how Clair was taken from our lives. We have heard stories that we can never stop listening to. We have seen images that we can never stop seeing. We have heard lies that we can never forgive, but they will stay with us and haunt us forever.

“As a family, we will have to figure out what life will be like without our beautiful sister and amazing mother. Right now, it’s literally beyond comprehension and we can’t bear to think about it.” Passing sentence, Judge John Thackray KC said he was satisfied Kemp strangled Ms Armstrong “so no one else could have her” after she ordered him to pack up and leave her house.

The couple had been dating for more than two years and had discussed marriage before Kemp was arrested at Leeds Bradford airport last August while returning from a holiday in Portugal. Kemp was charged with attempting to rape a teenage girl at the Drop Zone skydiving center he ran at Hibaldstow airfield near Lincoln.

A regular at the gym, Ms Armstrong, 50, worked as a skydiving instructor at Drop Zone and also ran a beauty salon in her town of Messingham. Judge Kemp said: ‘You committed the crime in Clair’s home, a place where she had a right to feel safe and secure. “Much has been said in court, I stress completely correctly, about the devastating, tragic and brutal circumstances of Clair Armstrong’s death.

“His untimely death of hers, along with the impact of what happened on her family No sentence he imposes can return Clair’s children to their mother. No sentence I impose can undo what you, Kemp, have done. “The only thing I can do is impose what the law deems the appropriate penalty for a case of this nature.

I take into account the personal statement of the victim that describes better than ever the devastation you have caused. It may be impossible to put into words how they feel, but perhaps the statement read on behalf of the family gives some indication of the devastation it has caused. It describes that there is not a single day that they do not cry, and there is not a day that is not filled with pain and anguish.

“Clair Armstrong was a totally innocent victim of a violent attack on her, followed by her suffocation culminating in her death.”

He said Ms Armstrong “had a lot to live for”, adding: “She was obviously an impressive woman running her own business while also working as a skydiving instructor, in addition to her involvement as part of a skydiving training team.” She was a much loved mother to three children. Kemp was sacked for gross misconduct by the prosecution and also lost his linked accommodation in Hibaldstow. The judge continued: “She had generously given you a home when you lost your accommodation due to the sexual accusations.”

The relationship had become strained and you must have known that it was close to ending. On the day in question, she had informed you that the relationship was finally over and that you needed to move out.

‘You decided that if you couldn’t have her, no one could, and you launched a brutal attack on her. First, you hit her twice on the head, breaking her nose and causing a gash on her forehead. He then pinned her down and strangled her with such force that he broke her hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage. The wounds on her mouth indicate that he suffocated her as well, no doubt to prevent her from screaming for help.

‘Without a doubt, she was fighting for her life, evidenced by the wounds inflicted on her forehead and the fact that she had bitten her tongue. I reject your account that she was attacking you. “While it is true that she may well have lost consciousness during the strangulation process, I have no doubt that the undoubted pain, suffering and terror before losing consciousness was greater than a few moments.

“I have no hesitation in concluding, so I am sure, that you had the intent to kill, though I accept that it was a brief intent.” She also pointed out that Kemp had lied about the time of the murder. Kemp claimed in his 999 call in the early hours of Sunday 6 November 2022 that he had killed Ms Armstrong just two hours earlier. But the prosecution claimed that he had died long before, possibly early Saturday morning, when he stopped responding to WhatsApp messages from his skydiving buddies.

The judge said Kemp had been caught on CCTV early Saturday morning with obvious facial injuries. It was also heard at the trial that as Armstrong lay dead in bed, in her dressing gown and panties wrapped in a duvet, Kemp let the dogs out three times and wrote a suicide note. He was arrested eight miles away, standing in a daze on a grassy verge next to a country road after crashing his silver Nissan Qashqai into a tree.

The judge was also convinced that Kemp disposed of his phone to hide damaging evidence on it, saying there were other aggravating factors as well, adding:

‘First, this was domestic violence. That makes it more serious because of the breach of trust and because of his vulnerability. Second, you concealed evidence by disposing of the phone. Third, he was late in reporting the death and lied about when it happened. Fourth, the crime was committed under the influence of alcohol.

The judge accepted that Kemp had no criminal record, that the murder was not premeditated, and that he was going through a difficult period. But I do not accept that it significantly reduces his guilt. I don’t accept that he is truly sorry,’ he added. “During his statement, I detected nothing but self-pity through and through.” Imprisoning him for life, he ordered him to spend at least 19 years behind bars, minus 176 days in pretrial detention.

Kemp, originally from Reading, met Ms. Armstrong at the Drop Zone, where she worked as a skydiving instructor and she was also a member of the skydiving training team. Mitigating, Mohammed Nawaz KC said: ‘It is accepted by the defence that the actions of the defendant have caused untold loss and sorrow and it is difficult not to be moved by the sentiments of the family. This was a spur of the moment incident which led to this violence.‘Read More……..