Convicted insider trader Oliver Curtis, who is husband to public relations queen Roxy Jacenko, has spoken about his time in prison for the first time since his release.
The 32-year-old returned to his Sydney home in June after serving a year behind bars. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the father-of-two revealed he was a hairdresser inside the jail, and frequently helped out with the cooking and gardening.
“Someone had to do it (hairdressing) and I put my hand up,” the former investment banker said. “I can do a good short back and sides.”
Curtis said he “could not prepare” for his time at Cooma Correctional Centre, and that the experience has made him appreciate “a lot of things a lot more”.
“It was tough, but you come out a stronger person,” Curtis said. “It was something that I could not prepare for, something you cannot plan for.”
“That is something that I would not wish on anybody. It was an experience, one that I have put behind me.”
Curtis was arrested in 2013 after using insider trading with former schoolmate John Hartman to earn an estimated $1.4 million, which the pair spent on luxury cars and trips overseas.
Roxy Jacenko took Hunter to visit Ollie, but not Pixie. Post continues below.
Just a week after Curtis’ sentencing, his wife, 37-year-old Jacenko, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
While receiving treatment, she kept Curtis’ imprisonment a secret from their two children, Pixie, 6, and Hunter, 3.
She told the kids their dad was “doing business in China” and they didn’t see their father for 12 months.
Now, Curtis has spoken about the moment he first Pixie and Hunter them on the plane from Cooma following his release.
“Seeing them on the plane is something that I will never forget. It was amazing, it was so amazing to see my kids,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“I hugged the kids and gave Roxy a kiss and a cuddle and for us then everything was behind us. They are definitely my number-one priority and will always be my number-one priority. Family is the most important thing in my life and the kids and Rox mean the world to me.”
Curtis is now working with his father’s company, and both he and Jacenko agree, things couldn’t be better.
“The chapter is closed for Oli now, and it’s good for him that it has. Life is better than ever,” Jacenko said.