Reece O’Donnell’s violent criminal history exposed after he was jailed for raping a 15-year-old girl

A young father who raped a child in the bushes has a violent history of attacking strangers in public places, it can be revealed.

A young father who raped a child in the bushes has attacked several strangers previously, including pushing a man who was trying to help the woman he was chasing.

Reece O’Donnell’s violent criminal history has come to light after he was jailed for more than five years for the horrific sexual assault.

During sentencing, the District Court heard the 15-year-old victim was out on Hindley St with her cousin on March 4, 2023.

At about 4am O’Donnell, who was not known to the victim, began following and accosting her as she walked towards North Tce.

The court heard O’Donnell pulled her towards a bush, before removing her clothing.

Reece O'Donnell was jailed for rape. Photo: Facebook

“You forcefully held her hands behind her back and pulled her hair so she could not escape,” Judge Paul Muscat said.

“At one point you threw her into a wall.”

The court heard O’Donnell then raped the victim for about 15 minutes, telling her “I’ll put a baby in you” if she didn’t comply with his demands.

The victim tried to run away through a gap in the bushes but O’Donnell grabbed her head and assaulted her again.

(The victim) somehow managed to fight you off, causing you to fall over,” Judge Muscat said.

“She then made a run for it, but you chased after her.”

The victim ran up to a stranger and told him she had been raped and was taken to hospital.

O’Donnell, 21, of Munno Para, pleaded guilty to rape.

The court heard O’Donnell was raised in Mildura, Victoria before he moved to Murray Bridge and then Berri.

In sentencing, Judge Muscat also detailed O’Donnell’s violent criminal history, with offences including:

■ Spitting on a Metro guard while on a train on March 29, 2022

■ Pushing a man to the ground when he came to the assistance of a woman O’Donnell was chasing at Moseley Square at Glenelg on May 1, 2022

■ Assaulting a security supervisor in Rundle Mall on November 22, 2022 by threatening to spit on him

■ Assaulting an On the Run employee by headbutting him on January 6, 2023

■ Assaulting his father with a knife on August 17, 2024

Reece O'Donnell has his violent criminal history aired to the court. Photo: Facebook

Due to the fact O’Donnell had spent 14 months in custody for those offences, the magistrate convicted him without further penalty in November last year.

The court heard O’Donnell suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident in 2020, which he said has made him more violent and frustrated.

“Despite his intellectual disability and the brain injury he clearly knew that what he was doing was wrong and wrong in a serious way,” Judge Muscat previously commented.

For the rape, O’Donnell was sentenced to five years and five months jail, with a non-parole period of three years.

The sentence was backdated to February 18.

Originally published as Reece O’Donnell’s violent criminal history exposed after he was jailed for raping a 15-year-old girl