Trigger Warning: This article discusses domestic violence
Former Bachelor Australia leading man Sam Wood is currently behind bars and facing several charges of domestic violence after being arrested in Noosa over the weekend.
According to reports, police were called to a property along the coastal town’s popular Hastings Street on Saturday night around 9pm.
Police confirmed the 46-year-old man in question had been charged with assaulting occasioning bodily harm (domestic violence) and strangulation in a domestic setting. The victim/s of the incident were not identified.
Wood was refused bail and is expected to remain in custody until his next court hearing on Thursday.
Wood’s lawyer, Mathew Cuskelly, has told AAP he intends to dispute the charges.
“He’s simply worried about his family. A bail application will be heard on Thursday,” Cuskelly said. “The charges will be defended.”
According to studies, including a 2008 Journal of Emergency Medicine article, strangulation is a major risk factor in intimate partner homicide.
The case study found that 43 per cent of women who were killed by an intimate partner had previously experienced non-fatal strangulation.
The reality star-turned-fitness influencer rose to fame on the 2015 season of The Bachelor where he met his current wife, Snezana.
At the time, Snezana had one daughter, Eve, but has since welcomed three more children – daughters Harper, Charlie and Willow – with Wood.
In an official statement on the charges against her husband, Snezana said: “This is a difficult time for all of us, we are working through this as a family.”
The same statement appeared across Wood’s social media accounts, both personal and business, 28 By Sam Wood.
Mark Watkin, the acting chief executive of 28 Group also released a statement on behalf of the fitness company, revealing Wood had been placed on “indefinite leave”.
“We have all been shocked and saddened by the matters involving Sam Wood,” Watkin said.
“We have zero tolerance for domestic violence. While the matter is under investigation and before the court, Sam is on indefinite leave from his duties.
“Our thoughts are with the family and anyone in the community affected by domestic violence.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 43 57 or visit lifeline.org.au.
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