The court has heard claims that Wood used drugs and alcohol, engaged in a “party lifestyle” and that he “struggles with anger”.
Former Bachelor star and wellness influencer Sam Wood has made a fresh bid for bail over domestic violence charges, according to the Guardian. Wood, 46, has been held in custody since his arrest on 4 October at Noosa in Queensland. He is charged with two domestic violence offences: assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting.
The court has heard claims that Wood used drugs and alcohol, engaged in a “party lifestyle” and that he “struggles with anger”. His legal team have indicated he will fight the charges. During an initial bail hearing, a court heard that Wood's wife, Snezana, was supportive of the charges, and that she was allegedly choked and that “there was a cessation of breath”.
Wood's lawyer, Paula Morreau KC, said that there was no suggestion Wood “suffered from addiction” despite crown submissions that he used drugs and alcohol and engaged in a party lifestyle. Morreau said that if granted bail, Wood proposed to reside in Tasmania, where his father lives, and that he would agree to conditions “to not enter Victoria” where Snezana lives.
The crown prosecutor, Jessica Guy, said there were “serious features” to allegations that Wood assaulted and strangled his wife. Guy stated that “[Wood] didn’t desist. [The] violence extended beyond the application of force to her neck, to the banging of her head to the floor of the skirting boards.” The court also heard that the alleged incident occurred in the presence of an adult witness and the close proximity of young children.
Wood's legal team proposed he undergo a “men’s behavioural change” course if released on bail. Morreau argued that a trial on the charges could take more than a year, and that there was “a very real prospect” that if not bailed, Wood would spend more time in custody prior to sentence than would be imposed if he was found guilty of the charges. The outcome of the bail bid is yet to be determined.
