The ex-girlfriend of Olympian Harry Garside has admitted to assaulting the boxer but walked free from court, as he spoke out on domestic violence in the wake of the sentence.
Ashley Ruscoe admitted to common assault and intimidation over the incident at the couple’s Bellevue Hill in Sydney‘s east in March 2023 at Downing Centre Local Court.
The 35-year-old Amazing Race reality star, turned boxing and martial art instructor, walked out of court after she was given a 12-month conditional release order on Monday.
Another charge against Ruscoe included intentionally distributing an intimate image without consent was taken into account on sentence, while a second count of the same charge was withdrawn.
Garside, 27, who has gave permission to be identified in relation to that offence urged anyone affected by domestic violence to speak out.
‘Domestic violence is a serious problem in our country and I encourage anyone affected to come forward — your voice matters and you are not alone,’ he said.
Magistrate Miranda Moody said an apprehended domestic violence order to protect Mr Garside from Ruscoe would be in place for two years.
An AVO has been put in place preventing Ashley Ruscoe from contacting Harry Garside for two years
The orders also include a requirement that the 36-year-old not assault, threaten, stalk, harass or intimidate Mr Garside or anyone he has a domestic relationship with.
Magistrate Miranda Moody cautioned against any ‘victim blaming; as she sentenced Ruscoe for intimidating and assaulting her former partner.
‘I accept they had a bad fight … I don’t doubt for a minute there were faults on both sides,’ she said.
‘It was obviously a toxic relationship.’
The boxing prodigy had previously been charged over the same incident and denied wrongdoing.
Harry Garside (pictured at a previous court appearance) said he’d been vindicated after enduring a ‘personally devastating’ period following his return from South Africa, where he’d been filming a reality TV series
Garside was arrested following his return home from a stint on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! and charged with assaulting Ruscoe.
However, the charge was withdrawn by police after just four weeks when his high-profile barrister Sue Chrysanthou gave police videos which she said showed Ruscoe had been the aggressor.
Garside told reporters outside court that ‘recordings and communications’ had given police a full understanding of what took place.
He said he’d been vindicated after enduring a ‘personally devastating’ period following his return from South Africa, where he’d been filming a reality TV series.
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