Top cop's son charged with assault
Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan's son has appeared in court charged with assaulting a woman and holding her against her will.
Russell O'Callaghan appeared in court this morning facing charges a police prosecutor said would likely lead to jail if he was convicted.
He is accused of threatening to kill the woman, who cannot be identified, during the alleged ordeal between Sunday and yesterday.
He is also charged with unlawful assault occasioning bodily harm in circumstances of aggravation, aggravated indecent assault, two common assaults, threats with intent to hinder or prevent someone doing an act and deprivation of liberty.
Police opposed Mr O'Callaghan's bid for bail.
"The behaviour (he) displays varies from very calm to very hostile," Sen Const Shaun Symington told the court.
He said there were no conditions the court could set that Mr O'Callaghan would abide by and ensure the safety of the alleged victim.
But a duty lawyer representing Mr O'Callaghan said he did not have an extensive violent record.
She said there seemed to be no other witnesses to the alleged incident so it would be a question of what he said happened and the other person said.
Details of the allegations were read to Fremantle Magistrate's Court this morning. He had been visiting the woman he knows when they allegedly argued.
The court was told Mr O'Callaghan threatened to bash the woman and refused to let her leave her home. Over the next two days he allegedly held her captive, at different times punching her in the face, dragging her by the hair, attempting to strangle her and threatening to rape her and slit her throat.
When he left the home Tuesday morning he threatened to kill her if she called police, the court was told. The woman allegedly fled to a neighbour's for help and called triple-zero.
Mr O'Callaghan vehemently denied the allegations, his lawyer said.
She told the court her client said he might "technically" be guilty of assault because there was an altercation. But he "absolutely" denied threatening to kill or rape her or refusing to let her leave.
"His story is completely different to hers," the lawyer said.
She said Mr O'Callaghan claimed the woman's allegations were "all a lie, designed to get back at him".
The lawyer said that until the complainant's credibility was tested it was unfair to keep Mr O'Callaghan in custody awaiting trial when protective bail conditions, which prevented him contacting her, could be set.
A police prosecutor said they had photographs of bruising on the woman's face. But he was not aware of any medical reports.
Russell O'Callaghan has been remanded in custody for an assessment for home detention. He will reappear in court on August 22.
