Former reality television star and fitness guru Sam Wood has appeared via video link in a Queensland court, as he fights to be given bail while facing charges of domestic violence.
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he → appear → violence
Wood, 46, faces domestic violence allegations, including assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation, after an incident on Hastings Street in Noosa in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on Saturday evening.
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Wood → face → evening
At a hearing in a local Sunshine Coast court on Thursday afternoon, Wood appeared via video link before a court packed with more than a dozen journalists.
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Wood → appear → journalists
Wood sat with his hands clasped, wearing the prison-issued green clothing.
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hands → sit → clothing
He often looked at the ground.
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He → look → ground
His lawyer, Mathew Cuskelly said his client had indicated a set of circumstances that may result in him being entitled to a self-defence argument.
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him → say → argument
He said there were hostilities, in that the complainant had engaged with him in a “hostile manner”, and had been yelling at Wood.
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complainant → say → Wood
Wood pushed the complainant, Cuskelly said, and Wood denied any accusation of strangulation.
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Wood → push → strangulation
Cuskelly began the bail application by referring to a report tendered to the court by an attending paramedic.
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Cuskelly → begin → paramedic
He said the report detailed markings on the left side of the complainant’s neck.
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report → say → neck
Cuskelly submitted there was a lack of information provided by emergency services, and pointed to the fact given the gravity of the alleged assault, there was minimal indication of what was being asserted by the complainant.
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what → submit → complainant
He said while the prosecution had tendered two photos of the alleged victim’s injuries, there was a lack of photos of the neck.
“Given that seems to be the focus of the alleged assault, one would assume investigators would have photographed that particular area, but they are absent,” Cuskelly said.
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Cuskelly → say → area
The court heard the complainant had provided a video recorded statement regarding the incident.
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complainant → hear → incident
Police prosecutor Jeannette Grigoris said police had been in contact with the complainant, who was “supportive of the charges”.
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who → say → charges
Wood was supported in court by his father, Andrew Wood, after members of Wood’s immediate family returned to their home in Melbourne’s Brighton earlier this week, with the couple’s young children heading back to school.
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children → support → school
The court heard Andrew Wood, who had tendered an affidavit in support of Wood, had flown from Tasmania for the hearing.
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who → hear → hearing
After his arrest and as he remained in custody, Wood and his wife Snezana, who he met during season three of The Bachelor in 2015, issued a statement on Monday morning, describing it was a “difficult time”.
“We are working through this as a family and are cooperating with authorities,” it read.
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it → remain → authorities
“This is a difficult time for all of us, we are working through this as a family and are cooperating with authorities,” it read.
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it → work → authorities
After rising to fame on the Bachelor, Wood went on to build online fitness and nutrition business, 28 by Sam Wood.
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Wood → rise → Wood
It was bought by billionaire businessman Dennis Bastas in 2022 for $71 million.
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It → buy → million
Bastas issued a strong message of not tolerating domestic violence earlier this week, as he dropped Wood, who had remained as the face of the online workout platform, from the company.
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who → issue → company
The Aporia
