The owner of a trendy Wollongong cocktail bar has faced court accused of savagely attacking his ex-partner after discovering text messages from another male on her mobile phone.
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Joel Cooney, who owns and runs Crown Street's Ron De Vu, is alleged to have dragged the woman through her Taren Point home and repeatedly slammed her head onto a tiled floor before threatening to kill her during an incident just before dawn on January 25.
Documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday said Cooney and the alleged victim were in an intimate relationship for 18 months before separating about three months ago.
However, Cooney had given the woman a lift home from a friend's house in Gymea when he allegedly began looking through her phone and saw text messages between her and a male friend, prompting him to become "irate" and confront her in her bedroom.
Cooney allegedly grabbed her by the legs and dragged her out of the bed, down the stairs and into the lounge room before allegedly picking her up off the ground and slamming her into the tiled floor.
He then allegedly knelt over her and tried to strangle her, causing her to pass out.
She told police she woke to find Cooney still strangling her and screamed for help, allegedly prompting Cooney to put his hand over he mouth and nose.
It is alleged Cooney then slammed the woman's head onto the tiled floor several times before telling her "I'll f--king kill you".
The woman managed to escape from the house and sought shelter in a neighbour's property. Cooney left a short time later.
The woman reported the incident to police and Cooney was arrested at Bulli two days later.
The 31-year-old was subsequently granted strict conditional bail in Wollongong Local Court however was banned from approaching or contacting his ex-partner.
He was also required to be at his Wollongong home unless attending work at Ron De Vu or meeting with his lawyers.
Cooney breached that bail on Monday morning after a witness spotted him walking along the Princes Highway at Woonona and filmed him, later handing the footage to police.
Cooney was arrested on Wednesday and detained in custody but had his original bail reinstated when he appeared in court later the same day.
His lawyer, Graeme Morrison, indicated Cooney would fight the domestic violence allegations against him.
The case was adjourned to July 17 at Sutherland Local Court.
