Supplied
)A man charged with historical Sydney slavery offences has been denied bail in Armidale Local Court.
James Davis is charged with reducing a person to slavery, possessing a slave and causing a person to enter into or remain in servitude.
Police will allege a woman was enslaved in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra between 2013 and 2015.
The 40-year-old's defence barrister, Ian Lloyd QC, told the court the former ADF soldier and prison guard has "done nothing wrong" and posed no flight risk.
Mr Davis's five partners were in court to support him.
Ian Lloyd QC told the court that his client's partners were "living with him in a consensual polyamorous relationship" that "may include BDSM" and that one of the women was 17 weeks pregnant.
"As strange as this case may be, it is very defendable," Mr Lloyd said.
"He's done nothing wrong.
The court heard Mr Davis worked as a prison guard with Corrective Services between 2008 and 2014 and was being "kept in strict protection" 24 hours a day in Tamworth Correctional Centre.
"It may well be my client serves three years in strict protection before trial," Mr Lloyd said.
The Crown argued that if Mr Davis was granted bail there could be a risk of interference in the case that could endanger the complainant's safety.
The court was told that the complainant received threats "at one time" when she tried to take diaries police say she kept during the years of the alleged offences.
The Crown said there was a "risk of revenge, if not physical acts, by virtue of social media".
"I've taken into account the difficulties that Mr Davis will face," Magistrate Vivien Swain said.
She acknowledged that Mr Davis's "loved ones" wanted to support him in Armidale but ordered the case be moved to Sydney Central Court when it next appears in May.
