Millionaire wife-killer back in business

Millionaire wife-killer back in business

James Ramage with Julie in 1982. He bashed and strangled her to death. Picture: Sunday Herald Sun
A millionaire brute who killed his wife has relaunched his business career from behind bars - 35 days before he walks free and back into his fortune.

After serving only eight years for bashing and strangling his wife, Julie, in a notorious crime that helped to abolish Victoria's provocation defence laws, James Stuart Ramage will be freed from prison on July 3.

Documents show Ramage regained control of a private company on May 5.

Julie's twin sister, Jane Ashton, said: "I have this thing in my head about him being able to walk around in fresh air and go to the beach and do all that sort of stuff and Julie is in a little urn up the road in a graveyard."

"He is 51, he has still got a great life ahead of him. Julie did not get to see her children turn 18. She would have been so proud of her kids."

When Ramage is released from a minimum-security prison in five weeks, he will have served eight years of the 11-year sentence handed to him for the manslaughter of his wife, Julie, in the eastern suburbs in 2003.

But even before he is granted freedom, the suburban millionaire businessman is ready to build on his wealth.

Ramage reactivated his business empire from his jail cell, having himself reappointed as director and secretary of a company.

In 2004, when he was convicted of killing his wife of 23 years, he quit control of Naranda Park Pty Ltd.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents show that on May 5 he was reappointed as its director and secretary.

The move has angered heartbroken friends and family of Ramage.

The business is registered to a small unit owned by his mother in a Melbourne suburb near many of Ms Ramage's friends.

The fin! ancial d ocuments show Ramage intends to relaunch the career that once saw him control at least eight companies.

In a further insult, it is believed Ramage has been allowed out of jail several times on day visits.

Ramage's mother, Joyce, said yesterday he would stay with her on his release.

"He will stay for a couple of days until he can find himself," she said.

"He's obviously going back to what he was doing before.

"He had a company of his own, he was doing very well, so he will do that again."

The death of MRamage, 42, in July 2003 sent ripples through Victoria's legal fraternity when Ramage later successfully claimed provocation as a defence.

He argued she had provoked him with taunts about a new relationship. The defence has since been scrapped.

Ramage's two children, now in their 20s, had to live in the house where their mother was murdered.

They recently sold a house they bought in Melbourne's east with the proceeds from the sale of their childhood home so Ramage could not find them when he was released from jail.

There is nothing under law stopping Ramage from resuming his career from jail.

Ramage's accountant, John Prendergast, said: "He's got a company, but I'm not sure what sort of business he's going to get into."

Corrections Victoria spokesman Sam Bishop said Ramage was entitled to resume his business career.

Source: news.com.auImages: Sunday Herald SunPublished May 29 2011