A former Bachelor reality TV star has been refused bail on domestic violence charges after injuries to his alleged victim were debated in court.
Sam Wood faced a magistrate on Thursday after several nights in custody following his weekend arrest on the Sunshine Coast.
The Melbourne-based fitness influencer, 46, wore a green watchhouse-issue jumper and clasped his hands together in his lap when he appeared via video link.
Wood’s father Andrew also attended court after flying in from Tasmania and sat next to his son’s barrister David Cole in the front row.
Police prosecutor Jeanette Grigoris objected to bail, claiming the influencer was an unacceptable flight risk and submitted photos of the alleged victim’s injuries.
“He has no connections to Queensland,” Sgt Grigoris said.
“He does have the resources to essentially flee the jurisdiction.”
The alleged victim had given strong evidence of claims they were choked to “cessation of breath,” Sgt Grigoris said.
“(They) thought they were going to die … (they) are in fear of retribution,” she said.
Prosecutors would rely on a video-recorded statement by the alleged victim, who supported the charges, but had yet to secure a statement from an alleged witness, the court heard.
Wood’s bail application was in a show-cause position and he needed to prove his ongoing custody was not justified.
An attending paramedic’s statement about minimal injuries seemed unusual given the nature of and gravity of the alleged assault, defence solicitor Mathew Cuskelly said.
Police had not submitted medical evidence and a paramedic’s report about the alleged neck injuries, the court heard.
“Why not?” Mr Cuskelly said.
Wood, charged with the domestic violence offence of assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting, had no criminal record and his version of events indicated he may be entitled to a self-defence argument, his lawyer said.
“There were hostilities,” Mr Cuskelly said.
“The complainant has moved towards him and continued to yell at him.
“He pushed (them) away. There is denial of any strangulation.”
After an hour of submissions and a 30-minute adjournment, Acting Magistrate Janelle Boegheim handed down her bail decision late on Thursday.
“I’m not satisfied the applicant has shown cause,” she said.
She described the prosecution case as relatively strong, saying consideration for bail could be revisited if the case strength changes.
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Wood was charged after police responded to reports of alleged domestic violence at a Noosa property on Saturday night.
A Wood family statement addressing the charges was shared on Instagram with his 253,000 followers and his wife Snezana’s 330,000 followers.
“This is a difficult time for all of us,” the statement read.
“We are working through this as a family and are thoroughly co-operating with the authorities.”
Wood earned a national profile as a star of The Bachelor’s third season in 2015, launching a successful home fitness business 28 By Sam Wood.
He reportedly sold it in 2022 for more than $70 million but remained the face of the online platform.
The wellness businesses behind the platform cut ties with Wood on Tuesday, a day after placing him on indefinite leave.
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