Former Bachelor star Sam Wood is spending a fourth night in a basic police cell as he waits for a court hearing that could decide whether he is released on bail.
The 46-year-old fitness entrepreneur was arrested on Saturday night and remains at Maroochydore Watchhouse on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The facility is used to hold people while they are processed or awaiting their first court appearance.
Conditions inside the watchhouse are notably austere.
Details reported by The Daily Telegraph describe standard cells as containing little beyond two concrete sleeping platforms, thin mattresses and basic bedding.
Each cell has a toilet and basin, while a low partition offers only limited privacy.
A small plexiglass panel is built into the solid door, alongside a hatch used to deliver food and other items.
Former Bachelor star Sam Wood (pictured) is spending a fourth night in a basic police cell while awaiting a hearing that may determine whether he is granted bail.
Standard cells reportedly contain two concrete sleeping platforms with thin mattresses and basic bedding, according to details published by The Daily Telegraph. (Pictured: The interior of a Queensland watchhouse)
Maroochydore Watchhouse has 19 cells and 27 beds, along with three bulk cells, two cells for violent detainees, an observation cell and four holding cells. (Pictured: The interior of a Queensland watchhouse)
Toilet facilities provide little seclusion, with the partial wall offering only minimal cover.
The watchhouse has also been the subject of ongoing concerns about its condition.
A 2024 report from the Queensland Police Union cited recurring mould at the facility, previous scabies outbreaks and continuing problems with cockroaches.
The Maroochydore facility includes 19 cells and 27 beds, as well as three bulk cells, two violent detention cells, one observation cell and four holding cells.
It is also operating under pressure. Queensland Police Union figures showed that 23 people were being held there at 6am on Tuesday, compared with a stated capacity of 27.
The figure represented 85.2 per cent occupancy, placing the watchhouse in the union’s workplace health and safety “alert” category.
For Wood, the wait for his next court appearance means spending time without many of the comforts associated with daily life.
Legal Aid Queensland states that people in police custody may be searched and have their personal belongings taken. Officers may also collect fingerprints, photographs and other identifying details.
Legal Aid Queensland says people held in police custody may be searched, have their belongings removed and be required to provide fingerprints, photographs and other identifying details. (Pictured: Maroochydore Police Station)
Wood was arrested on Saturday night after police were called to a Noosa property over reports of an alleged domestic violence incident. He had been staying at a luxury beachfront resort on Hastings Street, where rooms can reportedly cost as much as $3,000 a night (pictured)
Visitors are generally prohibited, although lawyers are allowed to attend.
Wood was arrested on Saturday night after police were called to a Noosa property following reports of an alleged domestic violence incident.
At the time, the former Bachelor star was staying at a luxury beachfront resort on Hastings Street, where rooms can cost up to $3,000 a night.
The exclusive strip is one of Noosa’s most sought-after holiday destinations.
Wood was subsequently charged with assault occasioning bodily harm in a domestic violence context and strangulation in a domestic setting.
Wood has not been convicted of any offence and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
If you need someone to talk to about domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT or visit White Ribbon Australia’s website. In an emergency, call 000.
