Wayne William Butcher, 53, is charged with seven domestic violence offences, including strangulation, suffocation and grievous bodily harm.Mr Butcher could return to work as mayor, with a court being told a trial may not be heard for at least 18 months.
At a bail hearing at the Cairns Magistrates Court today, it was alleged he punched a woman in the face, pushed her on a bed, and strangled her in the bedroom of a Lockhart River home a few hours before the arrest. Mr Butcher was only charged with grievous bodily harm over the 2022 incident last weekend after the woman made a report to police.Mr Butcher was granted bail at the hearing on Thursday, on the condition he would not contact the woman and would notify police ahead of any trips to Cairns.
Mr Butler said the alleged victim's credibility and reliability would be a critical issue, as she had made changes to her statements about the timeline of events. Mr Butler told the court there was footage of the fight at the tavern, showing Mr Butcher pushing the woman away from him in self-defence.He said his client would offer an alibi of his whereabouts the day the offences were alleged to have occurred — which included meeting with a police inspector, the men's shed, and colleagues at his earthmoving business, before going to the tavern that night.
In granting bail, Magistrate Leanne Scoines said the woman's statements outlined a "chronic pattern" of behaviour that was "not particularly out of step with the dynamics of domestic violence".On Wednesday, the council held an emergency meeting to appoint an acting mayor.