Bondi Rescue star and Westfield stabbing hero assaults woman in 'fit of alcoholic rage' - as he learns his fate in court

A Bondi Rescue star has avoided a conviction for putting his hand on a woman's neck 'in a fit of alcoholic rage'.

Lifeguard Andrew 'Reidy' Reid, 45, faced Hornsby Local Court on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of common assault.

According to the NCA Newswire, Magistrate Daniel Reiss dismissed both counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

However, he was found guilty of pushing a woman's neck for up to five seconds in an 'an aggressive act that amounted to common assault' without proceeding to a conviction.

It was also found that Mr Reid made a 'fairly clear admission of assault' during a counselling session and had recognised that he had acted inappropriately.

One assault charge related to an alleged incident in November 2022, while the other allegedly took place in January 2024, over a 15 minute period. 

Prosecutors alleged that Mr Reid had bit a woman's arm, put his hands on her throat and thrown a phone at her, causing a cut to her leg which needed surgical glue to heal.

The court was told Mr Reid and the woman - who's listed as a protected person under an apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO) - had been 'wrestling' when he allegedly deliberately bit her upper arm.

However, Mr Reid claimed he bit her because she had elbowed his sternum and that her arm had entered his mouth when she fell on top of him - the latter of which the police prosecutor dismissed as 'physically impossible'.

In another alleged incident, the court heard that Mr Reid allegedly threw a phone at the woman, which struck her in the leg and left a 'nasty gash'.

The lifeguard claimed he had thrown the phone to the woman or on the ground near her, but the prosecutor noted he had given 'two very different' explanations.

Notes from Mr Reid's counsellor also revealed an additional confrontation during which he had 'flung his hands around [the woman's] neck in a 'fit of alcoholic rage'.

A visibly upset Mr Reid was said to have told the court 'that's not the kind of man I am' as he addressed the allegation.

The police prosecutor told the court that the notes equated to an 'admission to the offence of common assault' from Mr Reid.

However, Mr Reid's barrister Margaret Cunneen SC told the court the 'very fleeting' incident had occurred when the woman attempted to take back her phone, with Mr Reid 'guiding' her towards the bed with a hand on her neck before she fell over.

The court also heard an audio recording between Mr Reid at the woman after she entered his room late one night, in which he was heard saying: 'Get out until you f***ing apologise, seriously, I'll drag you out until you apologise,' in a raised voice.

Bondi Rescue star Quinn Darragh and former Home and Away star Ryan Clark both agreed that the audio did not change their opinion of Mr Reid.

Magistrate Mr Reiss concluded that Mr Reid was 'very angry' and had 'lost control' in the audio recording, deeming it 'appalling behaviour'.

He found the woman to be an 'honest' and 'forthright witness' but could not be satisfied that the allegations of biting or phone throwing were deliberate assaults.

Both counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm were dismissed, though Mr Reid was found to have made a 'fairly clear admission of assault' to his counsellor. 

Mr Reid was handed a 12-month good behaviour bond after being found guilty of pushing the woman's neck for up to five seconds.

He will also remain subject to a two-year apprehended violence order taken out in the woman's name.

Mr Reid is best known for having been a star on Bondi Rescue since the popular series first aired in 2006.

He's patrolled the iconic beach for more than two decades. 

Earlier this year, Mr Reid made headlines when he rushed to the aid of injured victims stabbed by Joel Cauchi in the Westfield Bondi Junction rampage that claimed six lives.

He had been shopping for a new bed in Myer when a frantic retail worker told him 'people are being stabbed' and 'the building is being evacuated'.

Mr Reid had been locked behind a safety door before he convinced a security guard to let him slip beneath the door to help a woman who was bleeding.

'There was a lady… and there was just blood everywhere,' he told Nine News at the time.

'I realised I had to go and help because that's what we're trained to do as lifeguards.'

He and two other members of the public gave the woman first aid, along with police officers.

'I have never seen so much blood... we were just looking for wounds, trying to stem the bleeding,' he added.

'As I looked up there were multiple victims about 50m apart. The lady next to us was in a really bad way - there were others working on her.'

Once Mr Reid had helped to stabilise the woman, he continued to move through the shopping centre to help others.

'I saw police needed help with the other lady so I started doing compressions on her. I don't think she made it,' he said.

'Then I went to help the next victim and saw an empty pram. I have three young kids and just though oh my God.'

While Mr Reid is no stranger to life and death situations, he admitted he had never before experienced anything so traumatic.

'I have seen some pretty gnarly stuff after working for 20 years on the beach, but nothing like this,' he added.