Society & Culture The curious case of Ashleigh Petrie

[Frank Bunn]

A young court clerk engaged to a country magistrate has died after being struck by a car in Victoria's east.

The relationship between Ashleigh Petrie, 23, and magistrate Rodney Higgins, 68, prompted calls for a judicial review of his capacity to perform his duties after it was made public.

Earlier this month, one of Victoria's leading barristers called for the state's integrity watchdog to investigate the magistrate, alleging Petrie was wielding undo influence over sentencing decisions by Higgins.

Ms Petrie died after being struck by a car at Metung, in East Gippsland, in the early hours of Monday. Emergency services were called to Metung Road about 1am.
"Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the death of a 23-year-old woman in Metung on Monday," a police spokeswoman said in a statement.

"It is understood the Mirboo North woman was struck by a vehicle on Metung Road about 1am and the investigation remains ongoing.
"The driver stopped at the scene to assist and was uninjured."

Court clerk engaged to magistrate dies in road incident

Ashleigh Petrie, the 23-year-old court clerk engaged to a country magistrate, has died after being struck by a car in Victoria's east.

www.theage.com.au

The media is footnoting the story with Lifeline and Beyond Blue numbers as though this was a suicide.

 

[Sauras]

Seems like most articles have lifeline below it, even when clearly not suicide.

 

[Thegibbsgamble]

 

[HairyO]

Seems like most articles have lifeline below it, even when clearly not suicide.

Why is it clearly not ?

 

[Sauras]

Why is it clearly not ?

I didn't say this particular incident.

 

[Aussie_boy]

The media attention the relationship recieved was unwarranted. Yes it was a bit odd but no need to treat both parties like they were criminals.

 

[Thegibbsgamble]

The media attention the relationship recieved was unwarranted. Yes it was a bit odd but no need to treat both parties like they were criminals.

Not just the media, so many of us put our 5 cents in aboit it on social media. Looking like she topped herself as a result.

Which would mean she actually was in love.

 

[peternorth]

There was always comments about her being a gold digger, is it love, he's a dirty/lucky old man etc.

Sad.

 

[Aussie_boy]

Not just the media, so many of us put our 5 cents in aboit it on social media. Looking like she topped herself as a result.

Which would mean she actually was in love.

Yeah true but if the media didn’t report on it in the first place no one would’ve even knew she existed let alone felt the need to comment on her personal life.

 

[peternorth]

It's the old tree falling in the forrest analogy.

It falls, roots exposed, causes a ripple, birds need to move out.

 

[Frank Bunn]

There was always comments about her being a gold digger, is it love, he's a dirty/lucky old man etc.

Sad.

Plenty more to come out about this matter.

Allegedly, the 23 year old previously had had a relationship with another magistrate, aged 59.

Last Friday, the Herald Sun revealed outgoing chief magistrate Peter Lauritsen dealt with an application for an intervention order by 68 year old Mr Higgins’ former partner against 23 year old Ms Petrie. There was some suggestions that Lauritsen should recuse himself.

According to some reports Petrie was hoping the court's 'toxic culture of sexual intimidation and predatory behaviour would be exposed by investigations into her relationship'. Which seems strange considering she was gaining substantial benefit from such relationships.

 

[BFew]

Plenty more to come out about this matter.

You mean like these angles below?

No Cookies | Herald Sun

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www.heraldsun.com.au

He began his career as a clerk and waterside worker before going back to university in 1989, completing a double degree in arts and law.
He ran as a failed Labor candidate for Shepparton in the 2014 state election and for the seat of Murray in the 2013 federal election.

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STATE ELECTION PROFILES 3: ROD HIGGINS
SHEPPARTON CRIMINAL LAWYER SPENT TWO DECADES WORKING ON THE WHARVES AND IN UNION MOVEMENT
Shepparton News
22 Oct 2014
(A very long and detailed article, including much on his Labour party and union movement history and philosophy and some pics (including of his wife).

....That was the first day of the historic Australian waterfront dispute where Patrick Corporation locked out workers following a restructure. Being a union delegate, Mr Higgins and his colleagues picketed the fence for months. Mr Higgins was issued a Supreme Court writ to be excluded from the site, which he obeyed. The picketers would bang on the side of buses that transported the new workforce to the site. He said they were mindful not to act illegally to avoid arrest. Mr Higgins has not lost faith in the union movement and believes it still has strength....

 

[Anja_Nees]

Plenty more to come out about this matter.

Allegedly, the 23 year old previously had had a relationship with another magistrate, aged 59.

Last Friday, the Herald Sun revealed outgoing chief magistrate Peter Lauritsen dealt with an application for an intervention order by 68 year old Mr Higgins’ former partner against 23 year old Ms Petrie. There was some suggestions that Lauritsen should recuse himself.

According to some reports Petrie was hoping the court's 'toxic culture of sexual intimidation and predatory behaviour would be exposed by investigations into her relationship'. Which seems strange considering she was gaining substantial benefit from such relationships.

I’m going to take a wild swing and say this girl’s dad wasn’t around much when she was young.

Have heard plenty of stories about Magistrates and their clerks or judges and their associates over the years so some of this is not a huge surprise.

 

[ThatRedHeadChick19]

A young court clerk engaged to a country magistrate has died after being struck by a car in Victoria's east.

The relationship between Ashleigh Petrie, 23, and magistrate Rodney Higgins, 68, prompted calls for a judicial review of his capacity to perform his duties after it was made public.

Earlier this month, one of Victoria's leading barristers called for the state's integrity watchdog to investigate the magistrate, alleging Petrie was wielding undo influence over sentencing decisions by Higgins.

Ms Petrie died after being struck by a car at Metung, in East Gippsland, in the early hours of Monday. Emergency services were called to Metung Road about 1am.
"Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the death of a 23-year-old woman in Metung on Monday," a police spokeswoman said in a statement.

"It is understood the Mirboo North woman was struck by a vehicle on Metung Road about 1am and the investigation remains ongoing.
"The driver stopped at the scene to assist and was uninjured."

Court clerk engaged to magistrate dies in road incident

Ashleigh Petrie, the 23-year-old court clerk engaged to a country magistrate, has died after being struck by a car in Victoria's east.

www.theage.com.au

The media is footnoting the story with Lifeline and Beyond Blue numbers as though this was a suicide.

It was a suicide

 

[peternorth]

It was a suicide

strong first post!

 

[ThatRedHeadChick19]

Its true though. Very sad

 

[Run n Spread]

Very sad. And I did make a comment myself. Maybe the media and everyone should stay out of peoples private lives

 

[Frank Bunn]

Very sad. And I did make a comment myself. Maybe the media and everyone should stay out of peoples private lives

Of course it is sad but given the recent events in her life, and those of her grandpa lover, I think the circumstances of her death are a matter of public interest.

The relationship between Victorian magistrate Rodney Higgins and his 23-year fiancée Ashleigh Petrie is a reminder to employers to enact policies to protect themselves and their employees in the case of interoffice romances, as well as ensuring that juniors are not unduly disadvantaged.​

​

In recent days, mainstream media reported that Mr Higgins had proposed to Ms Petrie, a court clerk 40 years his junior. The engagement offers lessons, McDonald Murholme principal Andrew Jewell mused, when it comes to workplace policies surrounding interoffice romances.​

​

“One such policy might be to require employees to notify the employer of a relationship in circumstances where there is concern about a conflict of interest or power imbalance,” he posited.​

​

“From an employment law perspective, the actual relationship is not a significant issue, but conflict of interest, favoritism, undue influence and power imbalance leading to sexual harassment are all very real concerns when a senior employee is in a sexual relationship with a more junior employee.”​

​

It seems, Mr Jewell continued, that Mr Higgins has been relocated from Sale court circuit to Bendigo as a result of their relationship.​

Lessons from engagement of Victorian magistrate to court clerk

The relationship between Victorian magistrate Rodney Higgins and his 23-year fiancée Ashleigh Petrie is a reminder to employers to enact policies to protect themselves and their employees in the case of interoffice romances, as well as ensuring that juniors are not unduly disadvantaged.

www.lawyersweekly.com.au

 

[mouncey2franklin]

Holy crap, she's dead?

I remember reading about the relationship with the old codger last week, having the usual internal response in my mind of 'she's a gold digger', and then reminding myself that [redacted], and then discovering that her former old codger boyfriend was the dude who played the 'wog' in The Castle:

And then moving on to the next click-bait article and moving on with my life.

When I saw this title thread I figured it would just be somebody gossiping about the gold-digging element of the story.

I clicked anyway.

Holy shit, she's dead.

When women 'try to commit suicide', they usually take relatively safe options, such as 'too many pills', because they don't really want to die.

Driving cars into trees, jumping in front of trains or high-speed cars etc, is more of a male way to go about it. Chances of 'failure' are slim.

Seems like some are suggesting that the young lady in question did indeed do this intentionally.

I suppose it will all come out in the wash.

In any event, horribly sad situation for all parties concerned. What a waste.

 

[mouncey2franklin]

What's the deal with stuff like this:

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Do these just remain online forever? Or do families try to get them shut down?

Or do they prefer to leave them online, like a virtual shrine?

I don't have a facebook or instagram or anything like that, but I do have a youtube channel.

If I were to die, I would want the channel left as it is, never to be touched or changed by anybody.

But I can see how the families left behind might feel differently.

The internet, what a trip, aye?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

What's the deal with stuff like this:

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Do these just remain online forever? Or do families try to get them shut down?

Or do they prefer to leave them online, like a virtual shrine?

I don't have a facebook or instagram or anything like that, but I do have a youtube channel.

If I were to die, I would want the channel left as it is, never to be touched or changed by anybody.

But I can see how the families left behind might feel differently.

The internet, what a trip, aye?

I think they have policies, the next of kin can have them deleted etc. Some probably choose to leave them up.

 

[Jobe Watson]

Why do people care who other people are f***ing? So long as it's not an illegal relationship, of course.

It's so weird. Who cares if some young chick wants to date a grandpa. People really need to get a life and stay out of other people's relationships.

 

[tandino]

She was a long way from home. Metung is a bit of a hike

 

[BFew]

I think there's a good chance that this case will go down in history as being remembered for News Corp having blood on its hands, for its role in what happened.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Why do people care who other people are f***ing? So long as it's not an illegal relationship, of course.

It's so weird. Who cares if some young chick wants to date a grandpa. People really need to get a life and stay out of other people's relationships.

Someone mentioned this when it happened in the AFL. Can't remember their names, no not players. It's actually important to care. If someone's getting a jerb or promoted at their jerb because a higher up is ****ing them that's a pretty significant issue for everyone who didn't get the jerb. It's also an issue for the organisation itself as they're hiring, retaining, promoting what's not best for them but what Timothy APS/AGSV Graduate likes sticking his **** in.