This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A body modifier used a branding iron to mutilate a customer’s genitals, a New South Wales court has heard.

Brendan Russell, 37, from Terrigal on the NSW central coast, appeared briefly in Gosford local court on Tuesday charged with female genital mutilation.

Court documents allege that Russell, who is not a qualified medical practitioner and uses his “modification name” BSlice DotCom on social media, mutilated the woman by “burning the labia majora off the victim with a branding iron” sometime in 2016 at Newcastle West.

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The magistrate, Bruce Williams, adjourned the case to 20 July and continued Russell’s bail.

In his decision to bail Russell after his arrest, Senior Constable Alan McBride revealed in court documents that Russell had lived with his partner and friends in Terrigal for the past two years.

McBride said Russell had made no admissions but “the offence is of serious nature and has caused permanent injury to the victim”.

Russell’s bail conditions include reporting daily to Gosford police station, not contacting or approaching the alleged victim or prosecution witnesses, not engaging in any body modifications and not providing any medical services. He also had to surrender his passport and accept a curfew between 8pm and 6am.

The magistrate ordered the prosecution provide the brief of evidence to Russell’s lawyers by 6 July.

Body modification is not legislated for in NSW but members of the so-called skin penetration industry are required to follow public health regulations.

Russell’s Instagram profile included images of split tongues, implants under the skin and “scarification” – etching or burning permanent designs into the skin. A linked YouTube account shows procedures including nipple and belly button removal.

