Sam Wood launches fresh bid for freedom

Former reality television personality Sam Wood has filed a new application for bail in the Queensland Supreme Court following a lower court's refusal to grant him release. The 46-year-old wellness influencer and former Bachelor star remains in custody facing domestic violence charges, specifically assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting. His legal team initiated the fresh bid after Acting Magistrate Janelle Boegheim denied bail at the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on October 8. The Supreme Court has scheduled a review of the case for November 4. Wood was arrested on October 4 in Noosa, located on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, while on holiday with his wife, Snezana. Police allege the incident began during an argument about packing upon their return to a luxury holiday unit on Hastings Street. According to court testimony, Wood pushed Snezana into a wardrobe. The dispute moved into the hallway, where Wood’s stepdaughter, Eve Markoski-Wood, instructed him to stop yelling. Prosecutors stated that Wood then approached Eve aggressively. Snezana intervened by placing herself in Wood’s path, demanding he leave her daughter alone. The court heard that Wood allegedly grabbed his wife by the throat with one hand, throwing her against a wall and striking her head. While maintaining a firm hold, he reportedly threw her to the floor, gripping her throat tighter and preventing her from breathing. Snezana attempted to free herself but was unable to do so. Eve subsequently contacted emergency services via Triple Zero. During the initial bail hearing, Acting Magistrate Boegheim noted that Snezana told police she was terrified and believed her husband intended to kill her. Police prosecutor Jeanette Grigoris highlighted evidence indicating a pattern of behavior, citing a similar incident in Victoria approximately three years prior. Grigoris argued that Wood’s conduct was escalating. Under Queensland domestic violence legislation, serious offenses such as strangulation in a domestic setting carry a presumption against bail. The prosecution emphasized that Snezana supported the charges and described the physical impact of the attack. Grigoris quoted Snezana describing the sound of her head hitting the floor and her inability to breathe, stating that she thought she was going to die. Wood’s defense attorney, Matthew Cuskelly, maintained that his client explicitly denies strangling or causing bodily harm to his wife. Cuskelly presented a psychologist’s report detailing Wood’s struggle with severe depression. The report described the deterioration of Wood’s psychological state and the difficulty he faced in managing these issues. Cuskelly urged the court to allow Wood access to mental health professionals. He further argued that Wood needed the chance to salvage his professional reputation and career, which were suffering significantly due to the ongoing legal proceedings. Cuskelly characterized the situation as a family problem that Wood had been trying to isolate from his relatives. Acting Magistrate Boegheim rejected the bail application, determining that Wood posed an unacceptable risk to the community if released. She noted that Wood admitted to pushing his wife away and acknowledged an incident occurred, though he claimed that was the extent of his actions. Since his arrest, Wood has been held in custody for more than two weeks. He initially spent four days in the Maroochydore police watch house before being transferred to the high-security Wolston Correctional Centre near Brisbane. During his detention, Wood’s business interests have unraveled, and corporate partners have distanced themselves from him. The next procedural step in the local jurisdiction is a hearing at the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on November 23. However, the primary focus of the defense strategy is currently the Supreme Court review set for early November. Given the timing of the Supreme Court hearing, Wood is expected to remain in custody for at least another month. Support resources for victims of domestic violence are available through the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service.