Prosecutors have told a Brisbane Supreme Court jury that a woman found dead beside a ride-on mower was the victim of a staged scene covering up her strangulation by her husband. Robert John Crawford, 49, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Frances Elizabeth Crawford at Upper Lockyer on July 29, 2024. Prosecutor Chris Cook alleges that bruising on the victim's neck was inconsistent with being crushed by a mower. Crawford's barrister, Saul Holt KC, told jurors they had been given an incomplete version of the evidence.
Former Bachelor star Sam Wood has brought forward his second bail application in the Supreme Court, which will now be heard next Friday. The 46-year-old was arrested in Noosa on October 3 and charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting. He denies the allegations and his lawyer has said he may argue self-defence. Wood remains in custody at Wolston Correctional Centre, where he has been placed in a separate wing under a safety order.
A 21-year-old man has been charged over an alleged attack on a man who was selling a mobile phone through Facebook Marketplace. ACT Policing says the buyer met the seller at an address in Kaleen on Tuesday evening and threatened him with a knife. Police allege he forced the victim into a Volkswagen Golf, where he punched and strangled him. The victim escaped and called for help. Police located the car in Belconnen on Thursday and arrested the driver. He is due to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday.
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Former reality television star Sam Wood will ask the Queensland supreme court to release him from custody. He was denied bail after police alleged he choked and assaulted his wife. Wood was arrested at Noosa on 4 October and faces charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting. His lawyer said he denies the allegations and has severe depression. The bail hearing is understood to be held next month, meaning Wood will remain in custody for at least a month.
A 41-year-old Canberra man has faced the ACT Magistrates Court after allegedly kicking and strangling a 15-year-old girl during a family violence incident on Sunday. ACT Policing alleges the man became angry after returning to the home he shared with the girl and his partner, punched a window and attacked the girl when she confronted him. Police allege he threw broken glass at the girl as she tried to call for help, and kicked his partner when she intervened. He faces two counts of common assault and charges of choking, strangling or suffocating a person and damaging property.
Sam Wood, a former The Bachelor star, has been refused bail and remains on remand after being charged with assault, domestic violence and strangulation in a domestic setting. Police allege the incident occurred during an argument at a Noosa holiday home on October 3, and that his wife was grabbed by the neck and restricted from breathing. Wood denies the strangulation allegation. Snezana Wood was photographed without her wedding ring in Melbourne, days after her birthday gathering. Wood is due back in court on November 23.
Former Bachelor star Sam Wood has been refused bail after being charged with assaulting and strangling his wife on a family holiday in Noosa. Police allege Wood threw his wife against a wall and tried to strangle her after an argument. Magistrate Janelle Boegheim said a prior allegation from Victoria was not proof of any criminal conduct. Wood denies both charges. He has been transferred to a Brisbane prison, and his legal team plans to apply for bail in the Supreme Court.
Online fitness trainer Sam Wood will take his bail fight to the Supreme Court of Queensland after a magistrate refused him bail. Police allege he assaulted his wife Snezana at a Noosa property on Saturday night. He faces charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting. Police prosecutors told the Maroochydore Magistrates Court he posed an unacceptable risk of committing further offences, citing an alleged earlier incident in Victoria, which he denies. Acting Magistrate Janelle Boegheim remanded him in custody until November 23.
A magistrate has refused bail to fitness entrepreneur and former Bachelor star Sam Wood, 46, after he was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting. Police were called to a Noosa hotel on Saturday night. Wood has not been convicted, and his lawyer says he will defend the charges and may argue self-defence. Police documents allege his wife, Snezana Wood, told officers she feared he would kill her during an argument, and that she was strangled. Wood denies strangling his wife or causing her bodily harm. His lawyers will appeal to the Supreme Court.
Strangulation can cause seizures in as little as 14 seconds, and experts say it is a red flag for future homicide. Chantal Roddy, a survivor, shared her experience at a forum in Hobart aimed at improving recognition of non-fatal strangulation. Tasmania updated its laws in 2022 to treat strangulation as a standalone crime, with a maximum sentence of 21 years. Experts emphasise the need for better integration of services for victim-survivors and improved training for first responders to recognise and respond to strangulation cases.
A national domestic violence report found one in five domestic homicides involved prior non-fatal strangulation. Victims who have been strangled are 7.5 times more likely to be killed by their partner, according to a 2008 study. Non-fatal strangulation can cause serious internal injuries, including memory loss and PTSD, even without visible marks. Experts at a Hobart forum called for better recognition of strangulation signs and stronger penalties for offenders.
