UPDATE: Michael James McGoogan pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday 3 May. He will face court again on 18 June.
A Co-CEO and shareholder of Region Media, publisher of local website Riotact, has been charged with assaulting a woman and resisting a territory public official.
Michael James McGoogan, who recently turned 37, allegedly assaulted a woman on two occasions and, while resisting arrest, told police he is “a very violent man.”
Mr McGoogan was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning, 19 April, and later faced the ACT Magistrates Court where he was charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of resisting a territory public official.
According to court documents, Mr McGoogan is alleged to have dragged the victim along the floor by the arm before stepping on her hair and ripping some of it out while she tried to crawl away.
He then allegedly grabbed her by the shoulder and ripped more hair out with his hand before the victim fled to another room and called the police.
Officers who arrived at the scene claim to have seen a large bruise on the victim’s forearm and a scratch across her chest.
Mr McGoogan is alleged to have been intoxicated when police tried to arrest him as he “made several nonsensical remarks” to police. He then said to officers: “You have to understand I am a very violent man.”
With an officer gripping his arm, police then tried to escort Mr McGoogan towards an elevator when he is said to have refused to move.
He then allegedly demanded police ask him nicely to move, which officers obliged. Mr McGoogan then asked officers to remove their grip from his arm, which they refused. He allegedly responded, “In which case, I will resist.”
Mr McGoogan was then placed in an “escort hold” and taken to the watch house.
Mr McGoogan has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to face court again on 18 June.
Mr McGoogan has been stood down by all duties at Region Media while court proceedings continue.
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