Frank Bodor charged with assault and recklessly causing serious injury

An award-winning Victoria Police officer plans to fight allegations he punched his wife in “the head region” and strangled her.

Frank Bodor has been charged with four offences including assault and recklessly causing serious injury. Picture: Valeriu Campan

An award-winning Victoria Police officer is facing charges over an alleged attack on his wife.

Frank Bodor fronted Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with four offences including assault and recklessly causing serious injury.

Charge sheets allege he punched her in “the head region” and strangled her at a Clyde North property on December 30, 2020.

The court heard he plans to fight the allegations at a two-day contested hearing in March.

Limited details were heard about the allegations against him, only that he will dispute any assault took place on the complainant.

The defence case is expected to zero in on the woman’s credibility and reliability.

Prosecutor Olivia Sparrow told the court Mr Bodor was a police officer who was going through a divorce with the complainant.

“The fact in issue is whether the accused assaulted the complainant,” Ms Sparrow said.

The complainant will be called to testify at the hearing, as well as an ambulance officer who attended the scene.

Ms Sparrow said the paramedic had not reported any indication of intoxication.

Defence lawyer Mark Sturges backed down from a request to be able to cross examine the complainant about her “overall state of health”.

But he was granted approval to quiz her on if she had been seeing medical practitioners, including a psychologist.

In October 2016, Mr Bodor was commended for his work as a Senior Sergeant based at Dandenong station where he helped to develop an alcohol diversion program.

He told the Herald Sun at the time how the program, aimed at breaking the cycle of alcoholism and, in turn, recidivism, had seen “remarkable results”.

Mr Bodor was charged on March 30, with an earlier court hearing that he had “serious health concerns”.

He will return to court for the contested hearing on March 14-15.