Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones arrested in Indonesia after alleged drunken rampage breaks his silence
Aussie surfer arrested in Indonesia after alleged drunken rampage breaks his silence over shocking incident: ‘I felt possessed’
- Aussie says he didn’t feel like himself during drunken rage
- He allegedly assaulted two men during a rampage
- Facing five years in prison and 40 strokes of the cane if found guilty
An Australian man accused of wreaking havoc during an Indonesian surfing trip claims he didn’t feel like himself during the incident.
Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 23, from Noosa in Queensland, was arrested at the Lantik Moonbeach Resort on Simeulue Island off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra after allegedly assaulting locals during a drunken assault on Thursday morning.
He is accused of knocking a man off his motorcycle, leaving him with a gaping leg wound that required 50 stitches and a broken bone.
Speaking outside the prison and flanked by officers, Risby-Jones said, “I don’t feel like myself.”
“Like I was almost possessed, it wasn’t a good feeling,” he said.
“I wasn’t myself, normally I’m a really nice guy.”
Police allege that Risby-Jones left his hotel room naked and drunk on vodka before assaulting a security guard and then the motorcyclist.
Risby-Jones disputes the claim that he was drunk, claiming instead that he only had one shot of vodka which was aggravated by a sunstroke he got while surfing.
“We were at the pool and had a duty-free bottle of vodka. I only had one shot, only one shot,” he told the ABC.
He also claims that he was not naked, but was wearing underwear instead.
It is alleged that he fled to the beach when a mob of local residents formed to apprehend him before he was attacked and a civilian arrest was made.
“I was hit on the ground many times, people kicked my head, made me forget,” Risby-Jones said of his arrest by locals.
According to Police Chief Simeulue, Detective Mayyuhdi, Rhys-Jones was on a surfing trip because “he was depressed.”
“According to people present at the scene, Bodhi went out of his room completely naked and screaming,” he said.
“The people there tried to stop him, but Bodhi hit one of them instead.”
Simeulue Island is a surfing hotspot that happens to be part of Aceh, the only province ruled under strict Sharia law.
23-year-old Noosa man Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones (pictured) said outside jail that he was not feeling himself during an alleged drunken assault during an Indonesian surfing trip
He was arrested Thursday morning after allegedly assaulting a security guard and a motorcyclist who required 50 stitches for a cut on his ankle
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was not informed when questioned about the incident on Saturday.
“I don’t comment on things that happened abroad without being informed,” he said.
“But DFAT, when incidents occur, DFAT does a very good job.”
Risby-Jones faces two and a half years in prison if the motorcyclist’s injuries are considered minor, or five years if they are considered serious.
He could also be tried under Sharia law for drinking alcohol, which is illegal for Muslims and non-Muslims in the province, in which case he will receive 40 strokes of the cane.
Police may hold Rhys-Jones in custody for 20 days during the investigation.