Fashion designer Wayne Cooper's once glamorous life continues to unravel as he faces fresh domestic violence charges and multiple counts of drug possession. The 62-year-old appeared before Byron Bay Local Court on Friday, charged with common assault, stalk or intimidate, destroy or damage property, and contravening a restraining order.
Not Guilty Pleas and Adjournment
Cooper has pleaded not guilty to the charges of destroying property and contravening a restraining order, as well as possessing a prohibited drug. All matters have been adjourned for a hearing scheduled in February next year. Additionally, Daily Mail can reveal that Cooper was also before the same court on Monday, charged with two counts of possessing a prohibited drug, with another hearing set for December.
Bail Conditions
As part of his bail conditions related to the domestic violence charges, Cooper is prohibited from approaching or attempting to contact his second wife, Elizabeth Adams, or any prosecution witness. He must also abstain from alcohol and non-prescribed drugs and must present himself at his front door if required for random testing.
Cooper has been a frequent visitor to Byron Bay Local Court over the past two years. Last August, he admitted to assaulting Ms Adams in December 2024. Initially denying charges of common assault and contravening a domestic violence order, he changed his pleas to guilty just eight days before the case was to be heard. He was fined $1,000 for the assault, convicted of breaching the AVO, and placed on a 12-month community correction order. Additionally, a two-year AVO was issued to protect Ms Adams, who is in her late 40s.
History of Domestic Violence
Cooper, who rose to fame in the 1990s with his BRAVE label, previously assaulted his first wife, Sarah Marsh, just days after she had undergone cancer surgery. He married Ms Adams in December 2023, nine months after meeting the mother-of-two. However, claims of domestic disharmony surfaced in August 2024 when police sought an AVO to protect Cooper from Ms Adams. The AVO was confirmed later that month, preventing Ms Adams from assaulting, intimidating, threatening, harassing, or stalking her husband.
Weeks later, Ms Adams told Daily Mail that the shadow of Ms Marsh loomed over their marriage, triggering a meltdown that landed her in court. 'There's three of us in this marriage, so it's getting a bit crowded,' the former UBS banker said. Despite the uncertainties, she expressed unwavering commitment to Cooper. Cooper also commented, saying, 'Everything is fine. It's a storm in a teacup. We're together and we're happy.'
Ms Marsh responded by stating she had no contact with Cooper and had never met Ms Adams. Days later, in September 2024, Byron Bay police applied for an AVO to protect Ms Adams from Cooper, but that matter was dismissed the following month. In November 2024, Ms Adams reported that Cooper had assaulted her during an argument involving a wine bottle at an apartment complex on Campbell Parade at Bondi Beach. Cooper was charged with common assault and served with another interim AVO, but he pleaded not guilty, and the charges were withdrawn in May 2025.
Previous Assault Conviction
Cooper proposed to Ms Adams by hiding an engagement ring in a bowl of caviar during a romantic dinner at Bondi Icebergs. The couple had been dating for only eight months following the breakdown of Cooper's 25-year relationship with Ms Marsh. In December 2008, Cooper was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to assaulting Ms Marsh following her cancer surgery. The assault occurred when Ms Marsh tried to demonstrate how Cooper had pushed her while on holiday in Port Douglas. Charges of assault causing bodily harm and stalking were withdrawn at Waverley Local Court.
Cooper and Ms Marsh sold their Tamarama home for $11 million in February 2022, having purchased it for $5.5 million in 2011. The following month, they bought a five-bedroom, six-bathroom estate with a resort-style pool and tennis court at Myocum in NSW's Northern Rivers region for $5.09 million. In May 2022, Cooper was arrested at the Myocum house and charged with two counts of domestic violence-related common assault upon Ms Marsh. Those charges were dismissed by a magistrate in August 2023, along with an AVO application.
Career and Background
British-born Cooper grew up in London's East End and moved to Australia in 1985 to study fashion design at East Sydney Technical College. He launched labels BRAVE, WAYNE COOPER, and WAYNE. His clothes were once sold at two boutiques in Melbourne and are now available at Myer department stores. Cooper's Australian Fashion Week shows have featured top models like Linda Evangelista, Eva Herzigova, and Sarah O'Hare (now Murdoch), and he was a regular guest on the reality TV series Australia's Next Top Model.
