Boyfriend chains girlfriend to bed so that she does not sneak out to meet other men

ZANE Woodward, a 34-year-old man, has been charged with multiple domestic violence offences in Australia. Police allege he chained his partner, Broadie McGugan, to a bed at night using a metal chain locked to her ankle. McGugan, 32, had been in a relationship with him since September 2024.

McGugan was only released to eat or use the toilet. The man did this to stop her from “sneaking out” to meet other men. To quote the police statement, the boyfriend made sure she did not “sneak out of the house to have s*x with other men”.

Woodward allegedly took away McGugan’s mobile phone, wallet and keys. He is also accused of isolating her from her family, friends and work.

On August 5, McGugan escaped while at an ATM and hid in a pharmacy. She went to the Lake Illawarra police station to report abuse.

McGugan had serious injuries like broken ribs, bruises and a fractured eye socket. Police later arrested Woodward at a house in Oak Flats. He was charged with kidnapping, assault, intimidation and more. He has been denied bail and will appear in court later in August. He will appear again in court in October.

Police revealed disturbing details in court. McGugan had a “heavy set, metal chain link padlocked to her right ankle”.

“This cuff was then padlocked to a chain that was secured to the bed frame,” News.com.au quoted the police as stating.

Social media reactions

Social media users expressed shock over the incident. Many of them found the act “inhuman”.

“Absolutely feral. I'm glad she managed to escape during that short time out of the home,” wrote one of them.

“Hope he’s locked up in similar conditions,” wrote another.

Another user commented, “Frightening. I hope he is now in jail and won’t get bail. IMO, torture, cruelty, coercive control, kidnapping. After sentencing and jail, he should be tracked for 5 years. This guy seems really dangerous and the likelihood of reoffending seems very high.”