Married at First Sight New Zealand star Andrew Jury was in prison when he died last week.
Married at First Sight New Zealand star Andrew Jury was in prison when he died last week (Picture: Three)

Married at First Sight star Andrew Jury was in prison at the time of his death.

The builder was one of the original grooms on the first season of the New Zealand series, which aired in 2017 when he was 26-years-old.

Over the weekend it was revealed that he had died aged 33, with the news being announced by some of his former co-stars.

Now his father has confirmed that the former TV star was behind bars when he died last Thursday.

Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Roy Jury said his son was in custody within Mt Eden Corrections Facility.

Jury had been just hours from a scheduled court appearance, where he was facing charges that included ‘assault with intent to injure, willful damage and possession of an offensive weapon’.

The cast of Married at First Sight New Zealand in 2017.
He appeared on the 2017 season of the reality dating series (Picture: Three)

His father also told the Herald he’d held concerns for his son’s mental state ahead of his court hearing, and that his family were ‘bewildered’ and ‘deeply saddened’ by the tragic turn of events.

Roy added that his son had been arrested on April 2 and had told his relatives he was ‘struggling’ in prison.

‘It should have been a red flag when Andy stopped communicating with family and friends,’ he told the publication.

‘I and Andy’s extended family and friends are deeply saddened and bewildered by this distressing event,’ he added.

A police spokesperson confirmed to the Herald they responded to Mt Eden Corrections Facility about 7.10am on Thursday, where a person had died.

‘The death is not being treated as suspicious and has been referred to the coroner,’ police told the publication.

In New Zealand, all deaths in prison are subject to an internal incident review and an investigation by the independent Corrections inspectorate.

Jury’s death was publicly announced by MAFS co-stars Brett and Angel Renall and Benjamin Blackwell in a joint Instagram post.

Andrew Jury's father said he held concerns for his son's mental state before his death.
His father had concerns for Jury’s mental state before his death (Picture: @juryandrew/Instagram)

‘It’s with the heaviest hearts we’ve come together to acknowledge the passing of Andrew Jury,’ their statement read.

‘We had the absolute pleasure of filming and participating in a show which leaves us intricately linked for a lifetime.

‘Despite his struggles, Andrew was always friendly and the life of the party during our shared experience and he really valued his time on the show.’

They added: ‘At this time our entire cast wish to send our deepest condolences and love to his family – Ben, Angel, Brett, Vicky, Haydn, Lacey, Claire, Dom, Aaron, Luke, Belinda.’

Jury was paired with bride Vicky Gleeson-Stokes on the series, and while they stayed together during the finale, they split after filming ended.

Based in Auckland when he was cast on MAFS, Jury described himself as an outgoing, charming and spontaneous person.

But following his appearance on the series, Jury heavily criticised the show and warned others not to sign up.

Andrew Jury was matched with Vicky Gleeson-Stokes on MAFS.
Jury was matched with Vicky Gleeson-Stokes on MAFS (Picture: Instagram)

‘They [the contestants] are the most amazing people on the show, they put their hearts on the line and they all got burned,’ he said.

‘I make great TV, but my wife and me were not matched in the slightest. She’s a princess, I’m a bogan. How can they say it’s a legit process when you get the complete opposite of what you want?’

Warner Bros Discovery, which broadcasts MAFS in New Zealand, expressed its ‘deepest condolences’ to his loved ones, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.  

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‘WBD takes duty of care extremely seriously and has protocols in place regarding the wellbeing of cast and crew,’ a spokesperson said.

Need support?

For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

If you're a young person, or concerned about a young person, you can also contact PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide UK. Their HOPELINK digital support platform is open 24/7, or you can call 0800 068 4141, text 07860039967 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org between the hours of 9am and midnight.

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