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Farmer Wants a Wife star Samuel Christopher Messina has been found guilty of a series of domestic violence crimes.
Messina, 27, stood before a court in Illawarra on Tuesday as magistrate Michael Ong handed down guilty verdicts for three counts of assault resulting in actual bodily harm to his ex-girlfriend, reports The Daily Telegraph.
The attacks took place a year before Messina appeared on the popular dating show Channel Seven, which pairs lonely country farmers with city girls.
Farmer Wants a Wife star Samuel Christopher Messina has been found guilty of a series of domestic violence crimes
The court heard earlier that Messina beat his ex so hard that she bled for weeks.
His former partner told the court that he physically assaulted her four times in 2019 while they were living together in Orange, NSW.
The court heard the first attack, which took place in March 2019, in which he opened a door to her foot, causing pain in two of her toes.
The attacks took place a year before Messina appeared on the popular dating show Channel Seven, which pairs lonely country farmers with city girls
The court heard earlier that Messina beat his ex-girlfriend so hard that she bled for weeks
In July of that year, Messina grabbed her by the clothes and threw her to the ground.
The court also heard that Mr Messina shoved her on the morning of July 31 before punching her in the nose causing it to bleed.
The victim said the injury caused pain and bleeding every time she sneezed for the next month.
Messina was charged with a fourth assault, in which he “whipping” her with a phone charging cable.
But Magistrate Ong said this claim could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt as the victim’s work schedule indicated she was working at the time of the alleged incident.
The couple separated not long after that alleged incident and she moved to Illawarra.
Messina’s former partner told the court he physically assaulted her four times in 2019 while they were living together in Orange, NSW
Messina was charged first with a total of seven felonies of domestic violence against his ex July 2021. She had gone to the police in March of that year.
He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, including harassment, trespassing and four counts of assault.
He later pleaded not guilty to four counts of assault and guilty to two counts of harassment after showing up at his ex’s mother’s house and threatening to kill her pet rabbits.
Messina was a favorite on Farmer Wants A Wife, but got flak for turning down two lovelorn contenders Mackenzie Phillips (left) and Allanah Taranto (right)
During two days of evidence, the court heard the woman had found the courage to press charges after Messina allegedly threatened her rabbits in February last year.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Ben Bragger told the court that the woman’s delay in reporting the allegations “should not affect her credibility.”
“In 2022, delay is not a reason to affect credibility,” he said The Sunday Telegraph.
“Women who are victims of domestic violence have many good reasons not to press charges right away, they are embarrassed, embarrassed and do not want their personal lives scrutinized.
Claims came to light last July that Messina was not a real farmer and was using his brother’s farm for the show
“She had the courage to report [the allegations] after her safety was breached…enough was enough and she felt she should go to the police.”
Messina rose to prominence after starring in Channel Seven’s hit TV show Farmer Wants A Wife as one of the farmers looking for love.
He stunned viewers when he turned down two women, Mackenzie Phillips and Allanah Taranto, who competed for his affection.
Last July, allegations came to light that he was not a real farmer and was using his brother’s farm on the show.
Messina later said he ‘never claimed’ [the farm] is explicitly mine’
Instead, it was alleged that Messina was a Sydney lorry driver.
He later said in an Instagram post that the farm used for the show was a family farm and that he “never claimed it was explicitly mine.”
“I’m just like any other person – sometimes it takes two incomes to pay the bills. I drive trucks as a second income and it’s never been a secret,” he added.