Convicted rapist Joel Russo pleads guilty to raping female jogger in Melbourne’s north

Joel Russo had already served time for rape but even that didn’t deter him from striking again, violently attacking a female jogger on the banks of a Coburg river.

The woman was grabbed from behind while she was jogging along the Merri Creek trail. Picture: Sarah Matray

A man has admitted to repeatedly raping a female jogger on the banks of a Melbourne creek after submerging her face in the murky stream and threatening to drown her.

Joel Russo, 28, fronted the County Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault.

The Herald Sun can now reveal harrowing details of the attack after a suppression order was lifted by the court on Wednesday.

Crown prosecutor Jane Warren told the court how the 26-year-old woman, who cannot be named, was jogging along the Merri Creek trail in Coburg on December 3, 2019, when Russo attacked her from behind around 7.30pm.

Coburg man Joel Russo.

The full-time university student started to scream as Russo – who was jailed in 2015 for raping a teenage girl – dragged her down the steep embankment towards Merri Creek.

“She continued to scream and tried to break free (but) was unable to do so,” Ms Warren said.

“She clawed the ground to try to stop Mr Russo dragging her into the water.”

The court heard how Russo then laid on top of the woman and pushed her head under the surface.

“When (the woman) turned her head to the side so she could breathe, Mr Russo again pushed her head under the water, holding her there for about 30 seconds,” Ms Warren said.

Russo then told the woman: “I’ll let you live if you let me f--k you.”

After pulling her leggings down, the 28-year-old then repeatedly raped the student for more than an hour, telling her she had to say she “liked what he was doing”.

The trail follows the Merri Creek through Melbourne’s north. Picture: Hugo Timms

During the horrific assault, the court heard Russo used a muddy stick to touch the woman’s vagina.

“She was afraid Russo was going to kill her,” Ms Warren said.

After the assault had ended, Russo forced the woman to hold his hand while they were walking and said to her: “Sorry for raping you. I’ve ruined your life, haven’t I?”

Soon after, the woman was able to escape and raised the alarm at a nearby McDonald’s, where an employee called triple-0.

“She was crying. Her clothing was wet and dirty. She had twigs and leaves in her hair,” Ms Warren said.

Russo was arrested hours later on December 4 for attempting to rob a Coles Express, before police realised he matched the description provided by the woman.

Russo fronted the County Court on Wednesday.

He had pleaded not guilty to his charges and was due to face a County Court trial in October last year, but in September he offered to plead guilty.

The sex offender, who appeared via video link from prison, also pleaded guilty to conduct endangering a person and attempted robbery.

In 2015, he was jailed for five years, with a non-parole period of three years, for raping a teenage girl in Caulfield East while on youth detention parole.

Russo was unemployed at the time of his 2019 offending.

Judge Elizabeth Gaynor will sentence him at a later date.