Alleged Oak Flats Kidnapping and Assault Case Delayed by Evidence Volume
The case against a man accused of chaining up a woman and assaulting her with a meat tenderiser has been adjourned in Wollongong Local Court due to the substantial size of the evidence brief.
Court Proceedings and Adjournment
Zane Woodward, 35, did not appear via audio-visual link from prison when his matter was mentioned before Magistrate David Williams on February 4. Defence lawyer Cameron Meaney represented him in court.
The Crown prosecution requested an adjournment until April, citing the extensive volume of evidence against Woodward. This request was not opposed by the defence, and the magistrate granted the adjournment.
Serious Charges and Allegations
Woodward was initially charged with kidnapping, stalking, and detaining a person with intent to obtain advantage. Following further police investigation into the alleged incidents, additional charges have been laid, including:
- Sexual intercourse without consent
- Coercive control
- Two counts of intentionally choking
- Common assault
- Assault occasioning actual bodily harm
Police allege that Woodward subjected a 32-year-old woman known to him to ongoing physical assaults between July and August last year. The alleged incidents occurred at a home on The Esplanade, where he is accused of chaining her up and using scissors and a meat tenderiser as weapons.
Severe Injuries and Medical Treatment
The woman reportedly suffered fractures to her eye socket and multiple rib fractures, requiring treatment at Shellharbour Hospital. She reported the alleged incidents to officers at Lake Illawarra Police Station on August 5.
Woodward has been refused bail since August last year and is scheduled to appear by audio-visual link from prison at the next court date in April.
The case highlights the serious nature of the allegations and the comprehensive evidence being compiled by authorities as they pursue justice through the legal system.
