Sam Wood denied bail on domestic violence charges

Former The Bachelor star Sam Wood has been denied bail in Maroochydore Magistrates Court, where he is facing two domestic violence charges following an alleged incident in Noosa.

The 46-year-old appeared via video link from custody on Thursday, charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting. He will remain in custody. 

Wood contests the charges. His lawyer told the court he could raise a self-defence argument if the matter proceeds to trial.

READ MORE: Brand Sam Wood, and its empire, is officially over

Police oppose release

The court heard the alleged incident followed an argument after Wood and the complainant returned from dinner.

The complainant told police she thought “that this was it, that her life was going to end”.

Magistrate Janelle Boegheim described strangulation as a “particularly grave form of violence”.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Jeanette Grigoris described the complainant’s video recorded statement as “strong evidence”.

“She does articulate there’s choking … banging of her head on the floor, she couldn’t breathe. The defendant only stopped when one of the children called out,” Grigoris told the court.

Grigoris said the complainant supported the charges being laid and police had obtained a recording of the Triple Zero call made during the alleged incident.

According to The Daily Telegraph, photographs of the complainant’s injuries were also tendered.

Police opposed bail, arguing Wood posed an unacceptable risk of interfering with witnesses. Grigoris also argued that allowing him to return to Victoria would increase the risk he would fail to return to Queensland, “taking into account his financial resources and his significant community profile”.

She submitted that a prison term of around two years was likely if Wood were found guilty.

Defence raises possible self-defence case

Wood’s lawyer, Mathew Cuskelly, told the court his client could potentially argue self-defence.

“My client may indeed be entitled to a self-defence argument,” he said.

“He is indicating a set of circumstances that may result in that.”

Cuskelly said Wood had no prior history of offending and had been assessed by forensic and clinical psychologist Professor Ian Coyle as suffering from “severe depression”.

Grigoris accused Wood of “victim blaming” in his account to police.

Wood put his head in his hands when the bail decision was delivered.

Fitness business ends commercial ties

Police arrested Wood at a Hastings Street property in Noosa on Saturday night. He was charged on Sunday. 

Wood became a national television figure through the 2015 season of The Bachelor, before building the fitness business 28 by Sam Wood.

In a statement shared on social media earlier this week, Snezana Wood said: “This is a difficult time for all of us; we are working through this as a family.”

DBG Health, the parent company of the fitness business, initially placed Wood on indefinite leave. On Tuesday, it announced it had ended its commercial arrangements with him, effective immediately. The business will continue operating. 

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732). In an emergency, dial Triple Zero (000).