Harry Garside’s desperate domestic violence plea as his former lover walks free from court after admitting assault

The ex-girlfriend of Olympian Harry Garside has admitted assaulting the boxer but walked free from court as he spoke out about domestic violence after the sentence.

Ashley Ruscoe admitted it common assault and harassment following the couple’s Bellevue Hill incident in Sydney‘s east in March 2023 at Downing Center Local Court.

The 35-year-old Amazing Race reality star turned boxing and martial arts instructor left court after being granted a 12-month conditional discharge on Monday.

Another one The charges against Ruscoe included knowingly distributing an intimate image without consent. The sentence was taken into account while a second charge of the same charge was dropped.

Garside, 27, who has consented to be identified in connection with the crime, urged anyone affected by domestic abuse to speak out.

‘Domestic violence is a serious problem in our country and I encourage anyone affected by it to come forward. Your voice matters and you are not alone,” he said.

Magistrate Miranda Moody said a domestic violence order protecting Garside from Ruscoe would be in force for two years.

The orders also include a requirement that the 36-year-old must not assault, threaten, stalk, harass or intimidate Mr Garside or anyone with whom he has a domestic relationship.

Magistrate Miranda Moody warned against any “victim blaming; while condemning Ruscoe for intimidating and assaulting her ex-partner.

“I admit they had a bad fight…I don’t doubt for a moment that there were mistakes on both sides,” she said.

“It was clearly a toxic relationship.”

The boxing prodigy had previously been charged over the same incident and denied wrongdoing.

Harry Garside (pictured during an earlier court appearance) said he was proven right after enduring a ‘personally devastating’ period following his return from South Africa, where he had filmed a reality TV series

Garside was arrested after returning home from an appearance on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and accused of assaulting Ruscoe.

However, the charges were dropped by police after just four weeks when his high-profile lawyer Sue Chrysanthou provided police videos which she said showed Ruscoe was the aggressor.

Garside told reporters outside court that “recordings and communications” had given police a full understanding of what happened.

He said he was proven right after enduring a “personally devastating” period following his return from South Africa, where he had filmed a reality TV series.