Former Married at First Sight groom Justin Fischer has broken his silence on the assault charges made against him last year.
Fans of the marriage experiment may remember the “millionaire” groom from the show’s fifth season during which he blindly wed Carly Bowyer.
In January, So Dramatic! obtained court documents that detailed a number of charges faced by the divorced father-of-two.
**Trigger Warning: The following discusses assault and domestic violence and may be distressing to some readers.
The documents revealed that in December 2021, Justin was charged with two counts of assault — one of which was against a woman — along with the offence of stalking, intimidation, and intending fear and physical harm.
The 43-year-old was also issued with an interim Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) which authorities took out on behalf of the alleged victims, Andrew and Natalia Burton.
Now, Justin has addressed these damning charges in an explosive tell-all interview with So Dramatic!, and discussed the events with host Megan Pustetto.
What Is Justin’s Relationship To The Alleged Victims?
Court documents detailed that the charges are directly related to domestic assault.
Justin’s ex-wife and the mother of his six and 14-year-old daughters, Natalia, and her husband, Andrew, are the alleged victims of the aforementioned assault.
As per the terms of the AVO, the MAFS groom has been ordered not to assault or threaten the pair, stalk, harass or intimidate them. He also must not intentionally or recklessly destroy any of their property, or harm any animal that belongs to or is in the possession of Andrew and Natalia.
What Happened In The Lead Up To The Alleged Assault?
Speaking to So Dramatic!, Justin claimed that the whole scenario is just a “storm in a teacup”.
According to the former MAFS star, the events transpired after Justin was unable to get ahold of his daughters, despite confirming plans to pick them up prior to leaving for a holiday.
While Natalia was accompanying her mother to Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital, she directed Justin to her home in Manly where their daughters would be waiting with Andrew.
However, Justin claims that when he arrived, they were nowhere to be found.
“So I called Natalia and said, ‘There’s nobody here, do you know where the girls are?'” he recalled. “And she said, ‘Oh, they’re going out with Andrew. They’ve got their suitcases, just call him and pick them up from wherever they are.'”
When he called Andrew, Justin claims he was “caught off guard” after his daughters’ stepfather refused to tell him where they were.
“[Andrew] said, ‘I’m not telling you where we are,” he said, adding that he asked for their whereabouts “three or four times”.
Justin then called Natalia a number of times to no avail.
Where Did The Alleged Assault Take Place?
Justin soon arrived at Royal North Shore Hospital, where he knew Natalia would still be waiting in line with her mother.
Telling his ex-wife that he needed to know where his girls were, Natalia “turned her back” on Justin.
“All I did was tap her on the shoulder like you would if you’re sitting in the queue at the movies and say, ‘Excuse me, are you waiting?'”
Justin then confessed he was getting “more and more anxious” not knowing where his children were.
Eventually, Andrew appeared at the hospital alongside Justin’s daughters.
After requesting that their whereabouts never be kept from him again, the reality star claimed that Andrew told him to “get out of [his] face” before also turning his back on him.
“So again, I tapped him on the shoulder,” Justin remembered. “I said, ‘Please don’t do that again. Next time I ask, tell me where my girls are.
“Then he started using some foul language, and… I did in return. Nothing out of the ordinary. And I thought, ‘No, I don’t want my daughters around this’. So I grabbed the girls and walked off to my car.”
When Was Justin Fischer Arrested?
Justin recalled the police arriving at his home that evening around 8pm.
When the authorities revealed that he was under arrest, the TV groom asked: “For what?”
When they cited an assault at Royal North Shore Hospital, Justin was left “completely confused”.
“I said, ‘I don’t know anything about an assault, sorry.’ Then they said, ‘No, you’re the one that caused the assault.'”
Given the arrest took place in front of his daughters, Justin is admittedly disappointed that their mother allowed it to happen.
“Why would you put your daughters in that position in the first place?” he questioned.
Justin Fischer Denies Any Wrongdoing
“There was no evidence because there was no physical assault,” he admitted. He also revealed that no witnesses came forward aside from Natalia’s mother.
“[Natalia’s] statement just said that I pushed her with an open-handed palm, which I never did,” Justin confessed, adding: “I swear my daughters’ health on that one.”
“I tapped her on the shoulder… I told the police that. Then Andrew’s statement also said I pushed him in the chest with an open-handed palm.”
Has Justin Fischer Faced Court Over The Charges?
The former reality star’s matter was heard before a court on December 26, 2021 when he was remanded on bail.
Justin was not present at the time. However, a court date was set for later this year when the TV groom will enter a formal plea.
If found guilty of the alleged assault, Justin will face up to five years imprisonment over the charges.
If you or anyone you know is struggling and needs support, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, both of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7. You can also talk to someone from 1800RESPECT via online chat. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
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