Ashley Ruscoe accused of sending intimate photos of Olympic boxer Harry Garside wearing a purple wig

Ashley Alsione Ruscoe was represented by her lawyer Bryan Wrench at Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court on Wednesday after being charged with four offenses of domestic violence.

The 35-year-old woman was arrested at her Bellevue Hill home in July and charged with assaulting and intimidating her former partner.

A month later, the boxing trainer and wellness guru was charged with two new offenses for intentionally distributing intimate images of Mr. Garside without his consent.

The boxer gave permission to be identified as an alleged victim through his legal team.

Ms. Ruscoe is accused of sending messages containing intimate photographs on the afternoon of March 27 and the night of June 1.

However, his lawyer criticized the classification of the image as intimate.

He claimed that Mr. Garside had given Mrs. Ruscoe a photograph of him in a brightly colored wig that had been displayed in his sitting room.

“He basically gave my client a picture of himself… posing in a purple wig,” Wrench said.

“Definitely not an intimate image.”

The court was told that the photo had been used as a bookend in the sitting room, where it had been displayed “prominently”.

He said that witnesses would be called to attest to the nature and display of the image in question.

On Wednesday, Ruscoe pleaded not guilty to two counts of distributing an intimate image without consent.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to charges of common battery and stalking or intimidation of his former partner.

Mr Wrench asked for a postponement so he could get “exculpatory” information from his client’s phone, which is in the hands of the police.

He pointed out that Garside’s phone data had not been provided to him either despite the boxer’s assurance that the material would be provided to the defense.

One police officer estimated that it would take more than two months for the police to obtain detailed reports on the data contained on both devices.

The police prosecutor noted that some of the material may need to be redacted.

Ms. Ruscoe’s matter was adjourned until 8 November to allow all evidence to be presented and assessed.

The court was told that a temporary restraining order would remain in effect until the next trial date.

Despite the ongoing legal process, Wrench claimed the boxer had “previously turned up unannounced at (Ms. Ruscoe’s) workplace.”

He also took issue with an interview with the sportsman published in The Australian earlier this week in which he discussed the allegations of domestic violence.

“It’s totally and grossly improper,” Wrench stated firmly.

Garside was initially charged with an alleged incident of domestic violence at the couple’s Bellevue Hill home on March 1.

He was arrested at the airport on May 2 immediately after returning from filming I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! In South Africa.

The Olympic boxer firmly maintained his innocence and the police dropped the charges against him.

Her legal team told a Sydney court that previously unseen video by police showed Ruscoe as the alleged assailant.

Weeks later, the martial arts instructor was arrested and charged for the alleged altercation.

Wrench previously told a Sydney court that he was “shocked” that his client had been charged over the alleged incident.

He said he was “concerned” about Garside’s “motivation” in coming forward with the allegations against his ex-girlfriend.

The lawyer told the court that he would rely on the evidence of witnesses who would reveal that the boxer “has a history of domestic violence.”

Garside and Ruscoe dated for 18 months before splitting earlier this year.

Paparazzi often took pictures of the couple together and they made several high-profile appearances, such as at the GQ Awards in November last year.

Originally posted as Olympian boxer’s girlfriend accused for intimate photo wearing a wig