Jai Ruseler sentenced for ‘unprovoked’ attacks, indecent behaviour

A man who pleaded guilty to several unprovoked “attacks” including exposing himself to a father after asking for a child’s scooter has been sentenced.

Jai Ruseler

A man who exposed himself to a Geelong father on a suburban street shows little insight into his offending, a court has heard.

Jai Ruseler, 31, appeared via prison link in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday, where he was jailed for eight months by magistrate Simon Guthrie.

Ruseler previously pleaded to several matters, including one incident on in January this year where he exposed his genitalia to a father walking with his son in Newcomb, after asking to buy the child’s scooter.

The child had been frightened of Ruseler and had run off prior to the exposure.

At the time, Ruseler had already been on a two-year community corrections order (CCO) he was placed on in August 2023, for offences including recklessly causing injury, threats and unlawful assault.

On Friday, Ruseler’s lawyer Robert Morgan continued to advocate for a sentence of time served followed by another CCO.

Mr Morgan told the court Ruseler had expressed a willingness to comply with such an order, and it would “challenge his behaviour”, and he would benefit from the programs that would be available.

Chris Conway, for Corrections Victoria, said Ruseler “denied and challenged” when given opportunities to explain his offending, showed little insight and “no regard for members of the community”.

“In essence, there’s no potential for any insight into what was driving the behaviours,” Mr Conway told the court.

Mr Conway recommended the previous CCO that Ruseler had breached be cancelled and he be resentenced for those prior offences.

Asked about resentencing, Mr Morgan said the court ought to take into account Ruseler’s renewed ability to comply with a court order, given he now has access to stable accommodation.

During the previous CCO, Ruseler had unstable accommodation, no licence, was living in an isolated area and had poor mental health and irritability stemming from a back injury, Mr Morgan said.

He argued that supervision through a CCO added a “layer or protection to the community”.

In sentencing Ruseler, Mr Guthrie said he took into account his early plea, “apparent evidence of remorse” and defence submissions regarding Ruseler’s erratic and unpredictable behaviour, in the context of his mental health struggles and back problems, and the fact his time in custody has been onerous due to an assault that left him with a broken jaw.

His use of cannabis, ice and alcohol also contributed to his irritability, Mr Guthrie said, and he was found to be a moderate to high risk of “violent recidivism”, but he also felt shame and disappointment in his actions.

Mr Guthrie said the prosecution described the attacks as being unprovoked and having “no rhyme or reason”.

The jail sentence will be followed by a 15 month CCO, which will include treatment and rehabilitation for drug and alcohol use and programs to reduce offending.

Mr Guthrie said he will bring Ruseler back before court for judicial monitoring, and said without a guilty plea, he would have jailed Ruseler for a year, “without hesitation”.

Ruseler had 136 days reckoned as time served and was fined $2500 plus costs for breaching his previous CCO.

Originally published as Jai Ruseler sentenced for ‘unprovoked’ attacks, indecent behaviour