Independent MP Nick McBride has been placed under house arrest and forced to wear an ankle monitor while awaiting trial over allegedly assaulting his wife.
Mr McBride — one of South Australia’s richest men — spent New Year in custody after his arrest just after Christmas.
The former Liberal maintains his innocence and was granted bail at Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Mr McBride was arrested and charged with assaulting his wife and breaching bail on December 27.
The arrest came after police attended a home in Conmurra in the state’s south following reports of a domestic assault.
Last week, a magistrate ordered him to be remanded in custody while a report on his eligibility for home detention was prepared.
In a previous statement, Mr McBride said: “The matters before the court are allegations only and advise that I am fully participating in the legal process which I’m confident will assist me to clear my name.”
Mr McBride was elected to the South East seat of MacKillop as a Liberal in 2018 but stepped away in 2023 citing “factional pressures at play” and “disunity”.
A grazier turned politician, his family is the 18th largest landholder in the nation with properties covering more than 1.1 million hectares.
He will next appear at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court on January 30.
https://thewest.com.au/news/independent-mp-nick-mcbride-charged-over-alleged-assault-of-wife-bailed-under-strict-conditions-c-21225722
