Farmer Wants Wife reality TV star Sam Messina hit ex-girlfriend so hard she bled for weeks, court told

‘Controlling’ Farmer Wants a Wife star Sam Messina whipped his ex-girlfriend with a cable, threatened to kill her pets and hit her so hard her nose bled for a month, court told.

Farmer Sam Messina appeared on Farmer Wants a Wife. Picture: Supplied

A court has heard bombshell allegations a contestant on hit TV show Farmer Wants a Wife punched his ex-girlfriend in the nose, which left her in pain and bleeding every time she sneezed for the next month.

Sam Messina, who appeared as a farmer looking for love on the hit TV dating show in 2020, denies ever assaulting his ex, however she claims he physically abused her on four occasions in 2019 – with a court hearing she alleges that their relationship was characterised by control and abuse.

While he has pleaded not guilty to four counts of assault, he has pleaded guilty to two counts of intimidation, after he showed up at her mother’s home and threatened to kill her pet rabbits.

The court heard that In March 2019, the woman alleged Messina opened a door into her and hit her right foot, causing pain in two of her toes.

In July of that year, it was alleged he grabbed hold of her clothes and threw her onto the floor. On the morning of July 31, Messina was accused of shoving his then-girlfriend before allegedly punching her in the nose, causing it to bleed.

Sam Messina outside Port Kembla court. Picture: Tim Hunter.

She also accused him of whipping her with a phone charging cable.

The court heard she continued to live at the home she shared with Messina and another person for a couple of months after they broke up, before moving back to her mother’s home.

Sam Messina on the reality TV show Farmer Wants a Wife. Picture: Supplied

Messina leaves court during the week. Picture: Tim Hunter.

During two-days of evidence at an Illawarra court, the woman recounted a relationship of “control”, with the court hearing evidence that she only worked up the courage to report the allegations after the threats were made against her rabbits in February last year.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Ben Bragger told the court the woman’s delay in reporting the allegations should not impact her credibility, and that she was a victim of a “toxic relationship”.

“In 2022 delay is not a reason to attack credibility,” he said. “Women who are victims of domestic violence have many good reasons not to report things straight away, they are embarrassed, ashamed and don’t want their personal lives examined.

“She had the courage to report (the allegations) after her safety was breached … enough was enough and she felt she had to go to police.”

Sam Messina shocked viewers when he sent both Mackenzie Phillips and, left and Allanah Taranto, right, home on Farmer Wants a Wife. Picture: Supplied.

However, Messina’s barrister Ed Anderson argued the woman only made the assault allegations to police after they told her there was “nothing they could do” about the rabbit incident”.

“She was told it was a property matter and that’s when these allegations arose,” he said.

In his submissions, Mr Anderson said his client had maintained he didn’t assault the woman, and questioned why, if he was “beating her non-stop” and was “constantly verbally and physically abusive” as the woman stated in her evidence, she had not moved out immediately after they broke up.

“She had no reason to remain in a violent home and did so voluntarily in circumstances where she could have left at any time,” he said.

Messina was supported by his new girlfriend in his court and his mother, and will return to court Monday where a magistrate will hand down his judgment on the charges.

Messina made headlines on the reality TV show in 2020 after a series of controversies.

First, he was accused of not actually being a farmer, after rumours broke out that he was in fact a truck driver in Sydney.

“The farm you see in the show is a family farm,” he said in an Instagram post at the time. “I have a partnership with my brother and I never once claimed that it is explicitly mine. I’m just like every other person out there – sometimes two incomes are needed to pay the bills. I drive trucks as a second income and that’s never been a secret.”

Then, he shocked viewers of the show by sending home both girls vying for his heart, saying he saw them only as “friends”