Accused wife killer Antony Ogar seeks release on home detention bail

An accused murderer allegedly inflicted a fatal head injury on his wife which was unlike anything medical staff had ever seen, a court has heard.

A man allegedly inflicted a fatal head injury upon his wife which medical staff described as “nothing like they had seen” before and akin to being hit by a train, a court has heard.

Antony Ogar, 58, of Port Hughes appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday seeking release from custody on home detention bail.

He is yet to enter a plea to a charge of murder over the death of Cherry Gerente Ogar, 37, at their Yorke Peninsula home in late July.

Kirby Draper, prosecuting, said Mr Ogar’s explanation for his wife’s fatal injury was “improbable”.

She said he had explained his wife was “heavily intoxicated and came towards him in an aggressive manner” before he “pushed her and she fell backwards and hit the back of her head on thick white carpet”.

Antony Ogar is charged with the murder of his wife, Cherry Gerente Ogar. Picture: Facebook

Ms Draper said Mr Ogar had also explained his wife was barely conscious after she fell, so he placed her in a seated, upright position at the foot of a bed in the guest bedroom.

“The defendant asserts that he heard the victim crying overnight and snoring and approximately 8am the next morning, the defendant noticed the victim was in the same position at the end of the bed, albeit slumped over in a foetal position on the left hand side.”

She said later, at about 10.30am, he noticed a large “tennis-ball type” lump to the right side of her forehead and he called for an ambulance.

Ms Draper said it was unlikely that Ms Gerente Ogar, in a barely conscious condition, was able to get up and sustain the large lump then find her way back to the same position. She said Ms Gerente Ogar also had bruising and swelling on her forearm.

Cherry Gerente Ogar. Picture : Facebook

Ms Draper said the only time an experienced emergency nurse had seen another injury remotely like it was in another patient who had been hit by a train.

“Medical staff who attended on the victim’s injury describe it as ‘nothing like they have seen’,” she said.

She said 14 statements from people including neighbours, a previous partner and a former work colleague indicated Mr Ogar had issues with “uncontrollable anger” and “intense verbal aggression” towards his wife and other community members.

Anthony Allen QC, for Mr Ogar, said if released on bail his client would live by himself, away from the Yorke Peninsula and could lodge a $20,000 cash surety with the court.

Mr Allen said forensic reports, including toxicology reports which could reveal alcohol levels in Ms Gerente Ogar, were still yet to be received.

“Self defence is very much raised already on the defence case. There is little to disprove that on the current prosecution case,” he said.

A decision on bail is expected next week.