Financier Faces Domestic Violence Charges Against Socialite Ex-Girlfriend
Thomas Christopher Fennell, 53, arrested on six charges including assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Sydney financier Thomas Christopher Fennell, 53, appeared in court facing six domestic violence charges stemming from alleged incidents involving his 21-year-old former girlfriend, Mackenzie Bridgewood. The charges include two counts of common assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault.
Fennell was arrested after Ms. Bridgewood reportedly made a complaint to police on Friday. The couple began dating last year and reportedly broke up in June. Sources have suggested trust issues were a factor in their separation.
Fennell, who has previously drawn attention for his lavish lifestyle, including a reported Playboy Mansion-themed 50th birthday party in 2023, was granted bail. He is permitted to reside at his Bellevue Hill property. His lawyer told the court that Fennell has not been confirmed as the father of Ms. Bridgewood's second child, a detail reported by the Daily Telegraph.
Mackenzie Bridgewood, 21, is understood to be pregnant with her second child. She previously moved from Sydney's inner west to her grandparents' home in Darling Point following her breakup with Fennell.
Fennell's lawyer, Paul McGirr, stated that his client "strenuously denies" the allegations and will "vigorously defend" the charges. The case is scheduled to return to Waverley Court on November 12.
Fennell, once considered one of Sydney's most eligible bachelors after his divorce from Vanessa Jacobs Fennell, has reportedly kept a low profile socially since his relationship with Bridgewood ended. Prior to their breakup, Bridgewood had been seen accompanying Fennell on travels to Paris and Switzerland.
The relationship between Fennell and Bridgewood, who bears a resemblance to Fennell's late former fiancée, socialite Annabelle Price, had attracted public attention partly due to their significant age difference. Price died in March in non-suspicious circumstances.
Fennell's ex-wife, Vanessa Fennell, 55, was in the news last year after pleading guilty to charges including negligent driving and assaulting a police officer following a vehicle collision. She is reportedly seeking to have those matters addressed under mental health provisions.