Ex-TV Exec Blames Assault Of His Wife On Drinking To Cope With Workplace Stress

Ex-TV Exec Blames Assault Of His Wife On Drinking To Cope With Workplace Stress
B&T Magazine
By B&T Magazine



Former Sky News Australia executive Rob Rashcke has returned to court to face the music after being charged with assaulting his wife in February.

A spokesperson for Rascke told B&T in March that he initially intended to plead not guilty to the assault charge, and that his wife Rachel did not intend to pursue the matter.

However, Raschke’s informant has since confirmed he has since changed his plea to guilty “on basis that he would spare his family’s feelings rather than being challenged in a court of law”.

The TV exec is also under an apprehended violence order that forbids him from going near his wife for at least 12 hours after consuming alcohol or illicit substances.

Rashcke’s lawyer, Michael Bowe, revealed in Downing Local Centre Court yesterday that the Walkley Award-winning journalist had been benefitting from attending counselling sessions with a psychologist and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, according to The Australian.

Bowe said Raschke was different from other AA members because he had only become reliant on drinking to cope with the stress of a “heavy workload” that came with being a journalist.

But The Australian reported that the judge demanded Bowe produce evidence Raschke was in fact attending counselling before adjourning the case for sentencing.

According to court documents, Raschke assaulted his wife in their home shortly after having friends over in February, where he “violently shook” her while “yelling angrily”.

Raschke resigned as executive editor of Sky News last month – a role he had been in since February 2016. Prior to that, he held a number of senior news roles at the Seven Network.




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