Bail refused as reality TV star denies strangling wife
New details emerge over the court appearance of Sam Wood.
Source: AAP
Reality TV star turned fitness influencer Sam Wood will spend weeks behind bars after a court heard explosive allegations that he strangled his celebrity wife on their Noosa holiday.
The former face of The Bachelor, 46, appeared in Queensland’s Maroochydore Magistrates Court via video link on Thursday on domestic violence charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting.
The court heard he allegedly grabbed Snezana Wood by the throat with one hand and threw her against a wall after an argument in the bedroom of their $3000-a-night tourist accommodation.
Wood allegedly held his wife’s throat tightly and restricted her breathing while she was on the ground, the court heard.
The court was told his stepdaughter, Eve Markoski-Wood, 21, called police on Saturday night reporting Wood had harmed her mother at a unit on Noosa’s Hastings Street tourist precinct.
In mounting her opposition to bail, police prosecutor Jeanette Grigoris submitted photos of injuries Snezana Wood allegedly sustained.
She had given strong evidence of claims she was choked to “cessation of breath”, before her head was banged on the floor, Grigoris said.
“She thought she was going to die … she is in fear of retribution,” she said.
Grigoris said Snezana had given police a video-recorded statement and supported the charges.
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Sam Wood with wife Snezana and stepdaughter Eve. Photo: Instagram
The court heard it was not the first time the mum of four daughters had allegedly suffered domestic violence.
Snezana had allegedly been seriously assaulted by her husband three or four years ago in Victoria but he was not charged, the court heard.
“She refers to that matter as being similar in nature and involved choking and trying to strangle her,” Grigoris said.
Sam and Snezana Wood met and fell in love on The Bachelor in 2015. Photo: Network Ten
In opposing bail, Grigoris said Wood posed a risk of not attending court if he was released.
“He has no connections to Queensland,” Grigoris said.
“He does have the resources to essentially flee the jurisdiction.”
A haggard-looking Wood wore a green watchhouse-issue jumper and clasped his hands together in his lap as details were heard in the courtroom, which was packed with journalists.
Wood’s father Andrew flew from Tasmania for the hearing. He sat next to his son’s barrister David Cole in the front row.
Wood’s lawyers needed to prove that the Melbourne-based influencer’s ongoing custody in Queensland was not justified.
Solicitor Matthew Cuskelly said Wood had no criminal record and his version of events indicated he might be entitled to a self-defence argument.
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“There were hostilities,” Cuskelly told the court.
“The complainant has moved towards him and continued to yell at him. He pushed her away. There is denial of any strangulation.”
Cuskelly said the attending paramedic’s statement about minimal injuries seemed unusual, given the nature of and gravity of the alleged assault.
Police had not submitted medical evidence or a paramedic’s report about the alleged neck injuries, the court heard.
“Why not?” Cuskelly said.
Wood had been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety resulting from personal and professional hardships and was hiding that from his family, Cuskelly said.
After an hour of submissions and a half-hour adjournment, Acting Magistrate Janelle Boegheim handed down her 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 changed.
Wood was remanded in custody until his case returns to court on November 23.
Earlier this week, a Wood family statement addressing the charges was shared on Instagram with his 253,000 followers and his wife Snezana’s 330,000 followers.
“We are working through this as a family and are thoroughly co-operating with the authorities,” it read.
Wood earned a national profile as a star of The Bachelor‘s third season in 2015, where he met Snezana, and launched a successful home fitness business 28 By Sam Wood.
He sold it in 2022, reportedly for more than $70 million, but remained the face of the online platform.
The wellness businesses behind the platform cut ties with him on Tuesday, a day after placing him on indefinite leave.
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-with AAP
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