In short:
Fitness influencer and former Bachelor Sam Wood has applied for bail after allegedly assaulting his wife in Noosa.
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Wood → apply → Noosa
Mr Wood's defence team has pushed for him to be granted bail to reside in Tasmania, while the prosecution argued the 46-year-old showed an "unacceptable risk" of reoffending.
What's next?
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What → push → risk
Justice Patrick McCafferty is yet to make a decision relating to Mr Wood's release.
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McCafferty → make → release
Former reality TV contestant Sam Wood should not be granted bail due to his "escalating" alleged domestic violence offending, a court has heard.
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court → grant → offending
He is accused of committing domestic violence offences against his wife on the Sunshine Coast earlier this month, and once years earlier.
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He → accuse → Coast
The 46-year-old, who lives in Melbourne, was arrested on October 3 at a Noosa apartment complex.
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who → live → complex
On October 4, he was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation.
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he → charge → harm
It is alleged Mr Wood assaulted and choked his wife, Snezana Wood, following a family argument.
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Wood → allege → argument
The couple first met on the 2015 season of reality dating show The Bachelor.
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couple → meet → show
Mr Wood has previously denied the allegations.
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Wood → deny → allegations
'Party lifestyle' raised as risk
On Friday, his lawyers made an application for bail in the Supreme Court in Brisbane, after an earlier unsuccessful attempt in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court.
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lawyers → raise → Court
In Queensland, cases involving allegations of serious criminal charges, including strangulation, do not carry the presumption of bail, so Mr Wood is required to demonstrate why he should not remain in custody while his charges progress through court.
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charges → involve → court
Crown prosecutor Jessica Guy argued Mr Wood shows an "unacceptable risk" of reoffending, not returning to court, and of being a risk to the "safety and wellbeing of others".
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Wood → argue → others
This was due to his alleged escalating violent behaviour, with the Crown pointing to an earlier alleged strangulation incident in Victoria five years ago.
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Crown → allege → Victoria
Mr Wood's "alleged drug use and alcohol use" and his "party lifestyle" were also raised as risk factors, however his barrister stated her client did not have an addiction, therefore those factors did not reduce his ability to follow bail conditions.
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factors → allege → conditions
"The real risk here, and the only one … is to the complainant,"defence lawyer Paula Moreau said.
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Moreau → say → ?
"And that risk is effectively removed, if not removed, rendered minimal under the orders that have been made and the proposed orders as conditions of bail."
At Friday's bail application Sam Wood's father Andrew Wood attended court, as it heard further details about his earlier alleged domestic violence offending.
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it → remove → offending
The court heard Snezana Wood alleged she was strangled by her husband in 2021 in Victoria, and took related photos afterwards.
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she → hear → photos
"Those allegations are untested … they do not have the same support of a witness or medical attention," Ms Moreau said to the court.
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Moreau → have → court
She said "the matter does not have the same strength when considered objectively" as the current allegations and respective charges".
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matter → say → allegations
The court heard before the more recent alleged strangulation incident in Noosa, the couple's "relationship was suffering".
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relationship → hear → Noosa
"With significant stressors and more frequent confrontations," Ms Moreau said.
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Moreau → say → stressors
Ms Moreau suggested her client's behaviour had not escalated, stating there had been "a substantial period of time" between the two alleged incidents.
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behaviour → suggest → incidents
She said Snezana Wood's application said her husband had issues with "anger and irritation", but that "he usually leaves and takes time".
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he → say → time
According to Ms Moreau, this demonstrated "he has the capacity for self-control and willingness to avoid confrontation".
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he → accord → confrontation
The Crown said the fact Mr Wood could previously walk away during conflicts, and now twice had allegedly resorted to strangling his wife proved his offending was getting worse.
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offending → say → wife
She also pointed to recent strangulation data and research which named it as a risk factor for future more serious criminal offending.
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which → point → offending
"It is seen as a predictive risk factor for future domestic violence and escalating domestic violence,"she said.
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It → see → violence
She said a recent domestic violence taskforce recommended courts opt not to grant bail in strangulation cases.
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courts → say → cases
Bid for bail
Finally, Ms Moreau said Mr Wood had "worked his entire life and been a successful businessman", and the recent allegations and charges had left his employment "in a precarious state".
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allegations → Bid → state
The court heard if the 46-year-old is not granted bail, he could potentially spend more time behind bars in remand, than the length of any sentence he would receive if convicted.
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he → hear → sentence
As of October 30, Sam Wood has spent 27 days in custody.
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Wood → spend → custody
His defence team said a "very substantial surety" had been offered by a person close to Mr Wood to support his bail, and if granted, he could be required to report three times a week, and to attend a men's behaviour change program.
"
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he → say → program
These are meaningful conditions … and effective conditions that serve to reduce the risk."
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that → serve → risk
Justice Patrick McCafferty is yet to make a decision relating to Mr Wood's release pending trial, or whether the media will be subject to further suppression orders.
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media → make → orders
At an earlier court hearing, Mr Wood unsuccessfully applied to prevent media from being able to access court files relating to his domestic violence proceedings.
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Wood → apply → proceedings
The hearing continues.
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hearing → continue → ?
The Aporia
