Ex-boyfriend of The Bachelor star facing domestic violence trial

A man who had domestic violence charges against him dismissed after his reality TV former girlfriend declined to give evidence will face a new trial after the Supreme Court overturned the magistrate’s decision to throw out the case.

A man who had domestic violence charges against him dismissed after his reality TV former girlfriend declined to give evidence will face a new trial after the Supreme Court overturned the magistrate’s decision to throw out the case.

Jeremy Banks, 28, is accused of choking and slapping former The Bachelor contestant Kirralee “Kiki” Morris, 30, at a Manly apartment on May 5 last year. Banks denies the charges.

Jeremy Banks is accused of choking and slapping Kirralee “Kiki” Morris. Picture: Instagram

It is alleged that at 5am he woke her up by yelling and pointing at her phone then dragged her out of bed into the lounge area and held her down with his leg or foot while choking her.

According to court documents, the downstairs’ neighbour heard screams and came to investigate when a bruised and bloodied Ms Morris burst out of the front door screaming, “help me, call the police, call the police.”

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The Supreme Court judgment stated the neighbour saw Ms Morris, “had a swollen and bleeding lip and, “broken skin like graze,” on her right cheek. The neighbour said the complainant appeared, “upset and distressed and was crying, shaking …”

Police arrested Banks later that morning and charged him with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault.

Kiki Morris refused to give evidence against Banks. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Ms Morris gave police a video recorded statement of what happened in the hours after the alleged assault but did not turn up at the hearing at Manly Local Court on July 24 last year. At the hearing a prosecutor said that since the incident she had avoided all police efforts to subpoena her.

Laws were changed in NSW in 2014 allowing video recorded police interviews of domestic violence victims to be used in court so that the witness does not have to face their alleged attacker.

However, Magistrate Christopher Longley excluded the video interview agreeing with Banks’ lawyer’s submission that it was unfair to his client because Ms Morris could not be cross-examined on her videoed evidence.

Jeremy Banks had domestic violence charges against him dismissed. Picture: Instagram

The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the case to the Supreme Court arguing that Magistrate Longley erred in the law by not accepting the video as evidence when an alleged domestic violence victim is unavailable.

Justice Mark Ierace agreed with the DPP writing in his judgment that the law, “was intended to address specific concerns relating to difficulties faced by domestic violence complainants giving evidence in chief.”

Ms Morris was on the Richie Strahan season of The Bachelor Australia in 2016. Soon after being on the show Ms Morris began dating Banks posting plenty of loved up photos on Instagram.

Ms Morris has attracted almost 75,000 followers on Instagram with her frequent posts of herself in skimpy outfits and tiny bikinis.

The case will return to Manly Local Court at a later date.

Originally published as Ex-boyfriend of The Bachelor star facing domestic violence trial