The co-owner of a Canberra media company is accused of warning police he was "a very violent man" while resisting arrest for allegedly assaulting a woman and ripping out her hair.
Michael James McGoogan, who turned 37 on Monday, faced the ACT Magistrates Court earlier this month when he was charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and one count of resisting a territory public official.
It is unknown whether he has entered pleas.
McGoogan is co-owner of Region Media, publisher of Riotact and other regional news websites.
A police document alleges on two occasions, in April 2024, McGoogan assaulted a woman in acts of domestic violence.
Accusations include McGoogan dragging the alleged victim along the floor by the arm, before the woman grabbed and wedged herself in a door frame.
When the alleged victim started to crawl away McGoogan is accused of stepping on her hair, ripping some of it out.
He then allegedly grabbed her by the shoulder and ripped more hair out with his hand.
The alleged victim is said to have fled to another room and called police.
Upon arrival, officers claim to have seen a large bruise, swollen and raised, on the alleged victim's forearm, and a scratch across her chest.
Police believe McGoogan caused these injuries.
About 1am, on April 19, an "intoxicated" McGoogan is accused of resisting police when they tried to arrest him.
The document states he "made several nonsensical remarks" to police.
He allegedly said to officers: "You have to understand I am a very violent man."
"[McGoogan was] continuing to show signs of intoxication through his refusal to answer basic questions and instead provided police with additional nonsensical remarks," the document states.
About five minutes later, police are said to have started to escort McGoogan towards an elevator, an officer gripping his arm, when he took two steps forward and then refused to move.
"[He] then demanded police ask him nicely," police allege. Officers are said to have responded: "Can you please walk that way?"
To this, McGoogan allegedly asked officers to remove their grip, and upon hearing this wouldn't happen said: "In which case, I will resist."
After placing the tech entrepreneur into an "escort hold", he was taken to the watch house.
McGoogan was a teenage tech entrepreneur who started a webhosting business in his bedroom when he was 14.
He sold his startup, UberGlobal, to a competitor for more than $15 million a decade ago.
Not long after he bought half of Riotact, with the other half owned by Tim White, former chief executive of Allhomes.
McGoogan was granted bail and is scheduled to face court again at a later date.
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