Christopher Ostler pleads guilty to unlawful assault of pedestrian

Just weeks after losing his licence and being warned to behave by a magistrate, a Geelong dad got behind the wheel and assaulted a pedestrian when the man gestured for him to slow down.

Christopher Ostler in 2019.

A Geelong dad has been jailed by a magistrate who warned him five months earlier that if he misbehaved he’d end up behind bars.

Christopher Ostler, 31, fronted Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to several charges, including unlawful assault and was jailed for six months.

The court heard a man was trying to cross Sydney Pde about 7.15am on September 30 last year, when he saw Ostler driving his Chrysler wagon at a “high rate of speed”.

Ostler’s licence had been suspended earlier that month for three months and he was placed on a community corrections order.

Magistrate Franz Holzer who also sentenced Ostler on that occasion warned him that if he reoffended he’d be jailed.

The victim raised his arm in an attempt to get Ostler to slow down; in response Ostler stopped his vehicle and reversed, before getting out and approaching the man, yelling at him.

The court heard the victim tried to walk away, only to be shoved in the back by Ostler, before he got back in his car and drove off.

The victim’s workbag, valued at $200, broke during the incident.

Ostler told police on October 11 he “needed to get to an appointment” and was “having a bad day”, the court heard.

Ostler was “extremely apologetic”, the court heard and offered to compensate the victim.

On October 22, he was seen driving his Chrysler down Moorabool St, “yelling out the window” and “abusing members of the public”, the court heard.

Ostler’s lawyer, Alex Loftgood asked Mr Holzer to stay sentencing Ostler for a fortnight and give him a chance to have “a red hot crack” at the last 10 days of his CCO.

The court heard Ostler, who was supported in court by his partner and a friend, had 50 hours of community work left, and had made an appointments for alcohol and drug counselling and supervision.

He had relocated to Werribee, moving out of a Geelong unit after a problem neighbour was causing sever stress.

Mr Holzer said Ostler had breached his CCO not once, but twice, and had demonstrated questionable compliance generally.

“At what point do I draw the line?” Mr Holzer said.

Mr Loftgood argued there was “very little to lose” by allowing Ostler another 10 days, but “a huge amount” could be gained.

Prosecutor Kerrie-Ann Moroney said it was a “a little bit late” to have a go at the CCO now, given it was made in September.

Mr Holzer ultimately agreed; telling Ostler it was “too little, too late”

“It gives me no pleasure, but I did warn you in no uncertain terms,” Mr Holzer said, noting Ostler had “ample opportunities”.

“You’ve got to understand, this kind of behaviour is not acceptable.”

As his sentence was handed down, Ostler apologised for letting Mr Holzer and the community down.

“I was lost, it’s no excuse at the end of the day,” he said.

Mr Holzer said, but for Ostler’s guilty plea, he would have jailed him for 12 months.

Originally published as Christopher Ostler pleads guilty to unlawful assault of pedestrian