Former reality television personality and wellness influencer Sam Wood will ask Queensland’s Supreme Court to release him from custody after a magistrate refused bail over allegations that he assaulted and strangled his wife in Noosa.
Wood, 46, was arrested on October 4 after police attended a Hastings Street property in Noosa the previous night. He faces charges of assault occasioning bodily harm in a domestic violence context and strangulation in a domestic setting. He denies the allegations and has indicated through his lawyer that he may rely on self-defence.
During the initial bail hearing at Maroochydore Magistrates Court, prosecutors alleged the dispute began after the couple returned from dinner. The court heard Wood allegedly pushed his wife into a wardrobe, grabbed her by the throat, struck her head against a wall and restricted her breathing while she was on the floor.
Prosecutors also referred to police involvement in Victoria over a similar allegation about three years earlier and argued that Wood’s conduct was escalating. They said he posed a risk of fleeing Queensland because he lived in Melbourne and had the resources to leave the state.
Wood’s lawyer cited a psychologist’s assessment describing his depression as extremely severe and argued that he should be allowed to access mental-health care. The defence also said Wood had no prior criminal record. After four days in a police watch house, he was transferred to Wolston Correctional Centre near Brisbane, where he is being held under a safety arrangement with regular welfare checks.
The Supreme Court application is expected to be heard next month. Queensland law places serious restrictions on bail for allegations involving strangulation in a domestic setting, leaving the court to decide whether Wood has shown sufficient grounds for release before the criminal case proceeds.