Broadie McGugan, 32, had only been in a relationship with Zane Woodward for 11 months when he began isolating her from her family and friends and confiscated her phone, court documents say
A woman managed to escape her makeshift prison cell after her boyfriend tied her to a bed to stop her “sneaking out” to sleep with other men at night, according to court documents.
Zane Woodward, 34, appeared in court on a raft of domestic violence charges on Thursday, two days after his 32-year-old partner of just 11 months Broadie McGugan escaped his clutches and fled to the nearest police station in Illawara, New South Wales.
In court, police accused Woodward of using a “heavy-set, metal chain link padlocked to her right ankle” to keep her chained to the bed in their home in Oak Flats. It comes after a woman searches her husband’s name online and awful discovery leads to his arrest.
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The only time she was unlocked was if she needed to eat or use the toilet, according to court documents.
The court heard the bizarre motive behind the alleged torture – which was to stop his partner from “sneaking out” after dark to sleep with other men.
News.com.au reports how his control tightened in the days before she escaped, with Woodward chaining her throughout the day and whenever he would leave the property.
He is also said to have isolated her from her loved ones, and confiscated her mobile phone, wallet and keys.
But on Tuesday afternoon, Broadie saw her opportunity to escape and took it while the two of them were out and Woodward was checking their bank balance at a local ATM.
She found sanctuary in a nearby pharmacy, asking a customer for help. Woodward is alleged to have driven up and down the road looking for her.
Broadie reported the offences at the local police station before being rushed to Shellharbour Hospital, where she was treated for broken ribs, bruising and a fractured eye socket.
Police swooped in on Woodward at his home on Wednesday afternoon.
He has been charged with kidnapping with intent to commit a serious indictable offence, two counts of ABH, domestic violence, taking and detaining a person with intent to obtain advantage, common assault and intimidation.
His next court date is in October.
It comes a month after a man accused of holding his partner captive inside a shed and sexually abusing her for two weeks was freed from jail.
Police arrested Timothy Wood, 36, on July 2 after the woman managed to flee through an unlocked door and showed up at a neighbour’s house with cuts and bruises all over her body. She told officers that Wood locked her in a shed where she was stuffed into a crawl space for two days, and beat her with an electrical chord.
The Phoenix Police Department arrested the dad-of-three for aggravated assault, sexual assault, felony kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment. But after further evidence was obtained through a request by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Wood was released from jail.