The ex-girlfriend of Olympic boxer Harry Garside has been charged with distributing an intimate photo of him posing with a purple wig.
Ashley Alsione Ruscoe was represented by her lawyer Bryan Wrench in Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday after she was charged with four domestic violence offences.
It has been confirmed that the images depicted Mr Garside and it is alleged in court they were distributed without his consent.
The boxer gave permission to be identified as the alleged victim through his legal team.
Mr Wrench told the court that Mr Garside had given Ms Ruscoe a photo of himself posing with a purple wig that had been displayed in her living room.
‘He basically gifted my client with a photo of himself … posing with a purple wig,’ he said.
Ashley Ruscoe (pictured outside court) is facing four domestic violence charges in addition to being accused of distributing an intimate image of the boxer
Ruscoe’s lawyer told the court that the image she has been charged over had been displayed in her living room (pictured, Garside with Ruscoe in November 2022)
‘It’s definitely not an intimate image.’
The photo was used as a bookend by Ms Ruscoe and could not be considered an ‘intimate image’ when it had been seen by so many people, her lawyer argued.
He said witnesses would be called to attest to the public position of the image in question.
Ms Ruscoe, 35, was arrested at her Bellevue Hill home in July and charged with assaulting and intimidating her former partner, Mr Garside.
Months later, the boxing coach and wellness guru has subsequently been charged with two counts of intentionally distributing intimate images without consent.
The charges of distributing the images of the Olympic boxer without his consent relate to messages about the photos, the court was told.
Mr Wrench said he had been unable to access ‘exculpatory’ evidence on his client’s phone, which is being held by police.
Ruscoe (pictured with her ex) pleaded not guilty to the two charges related to the photo
Despite Mr Garside’s reassurance that he would also provide his phone, the defence team had also not been provided with any material from the device, the court was told.
Mr Wrench said he had been told it would take more than two months for police to obtain detailed reports about the data contained on both phones.
The police prosecutor noted some of the material may need to be redacted.
Ms Ruscoe entered not guilty pleas through her lawyer to the two charges of distributing an intimate image without consent.
She has previously pleaded not guilty to the charges of common assault and stalking or intimidating her former partner.
Her matter was adjourned until November 8 to allow for all the evidence to be served and assessed.
The martial arts instructor was arrested earlier this year over an alleged domestic violence incident at her eastern suburbs home on March 1.
Mr Garside was originally charged over the alleged altercation, but the charges were dropped by police earlier this year. He had steadfastly maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
Ruscoe’s lawyer previously told the court that evidence would be produced from witnesses who would reveal Garside (pictured competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games) ‘has a history of domestic violence’
Ms Ruscoe was arrested weeks after Mr Garside’s defence team told a Sydney court that a video previously not seen by police showed she was the alleged aggressor.
Mr Wrench previously told a Sydney court that he was ‘surprised’ his client had been charged over the alleged incident.
He said he was ‘concerned’ about Mr Garside’s ‘motivation’ in coming forward with the allegations against his ex-girlfriend.
The lawyer said in court he would rely on the evidence of witnesses who would reveal the boxer ‘has a history of domestic violence’.
Mr Garside and Ms Ruscoe dated for 18 months before they split earlier this year.
The couple were often snapped by the paparazzi together and made several high-profile appearances, such as at the GQ awards in November last year.