Antony Catalano: Court hears alleged details of March 13 attack | The Canberra Times

The ABC has reported further details of the police allegations made against ACM co-owner Antony Catalano during a bail application last month.

Catalano, the executive chairman of ACM, was placed on an immediate leave of absence by the company’s board in March after he faced court charged with a number of alleged offences, including assault, false imprisonment and making threats to kill.

His arrest followed an incident at a Melbourne apartment in which a woman suffered a fractured tailbone and was hospitalised.

Police evidence and legal arguments revealed in Antony Catalano assault case

Catalano, who is due back in court in May, checked himself into rehab and said he was “deeply ashamed and humiliated”.

The ABC reported on Wednesday that the Magistrates Court of Victoria had released a recording of a bail hearing for Catalano held on the night of March 13.

In the recording, police alleged Stefanie Catalano was subjected to a sustained attack by her husband early that morning before fleeing the couple’s luxury apartment and flagging down a passing car for help.

The ABC said Senior Constable Kiran Paramaguru told the court that 59-year-old Catalano was high on drugs and wearing only his underwear when he allegedly attacked his wife about 12.30am on March 13.

In the recording, Senior Constable Paramaguru told the court the couple had been at dinner the previous evening and returned home separately.

The ABC said the officer alleged that Catalano began yelling at his wife about a welfare check requested by other family members days earlier.

“The victim was already in bed when the accused approached her in a severely drug-affected state and began ranting and shouting at the victim about matters that don’t pertain to her,” Senior Constable Paramaguru said.

“The accused then demanded the victim’s phone and escalated this unprovoked attack on the victim by physically grabbing her.

“The accused has then proceeded to drag the victim by her hair and ankles through various rooms and hallways within the large apartment complex that they reside in.”

The ABC said police alleged Catalano then dragged his wife to a laundry area and grabbed a clothes iron and held it towards his wife’s head.

Ms Catalano, who police said had been screaming for help, briefly escaped the apartment but was allegedly dragged back inside by her hair as she waited for the elevator.

“The accused then threatened the victim, stating ‘If you scream one more time, I’ll stab you to death’,” the ABC said Senior Constable Paramaguru had told the court.

“The victim was in so much fear and believed she was about to die and had no other options so instead of stopping her screaming, she continued to scream.”

Senior Constable Paramaguru told the court Ms Catalano grabbed at her husband’s underwear during the incident “with the intent of leaving behind signs of a struggle, which would indicate some sort of evidence for police to investigate”.

Police had obtained CCTV from cameras inside the apartment, a foyer area and a corridor, the ABC reported.

Senior Constable Paramaguru described the footage to the court, alleging that it showed Ms Catalano “pleading for her life” while being attacked by her “fairly irate” husband.

“[He] can then be seen reaching across the victim, who’s now on the floor, and grab an iron and swing it at her with quite considerable force,” the officer said.

“She’s using all her strength to try and fight the accused for custody of this clothes iron because she feared that it would be used against her to kill her.”

Neighbours had heard screaming from the apartment and called the police. The incident had lasted about an hour.

The court heard that a 27-second recording from inside a neighbouring apartment captured screaming and Ms Catalano saying “let me go” multiple times, the ABC said.

Senior Constable Paramaguru said Ms Catalano eventually managed to flee the apartment.

“The victim ran onto the road and screamed at the first passing vehicle and in her extreme distress, demanded that she be driven away from the area,” the officer said, according to the ABC’s account of the recording of the bail court hearing.

Police initially could not find Catalano but arrested him – wearing the underwear allegedly torn during the attack – in a nearby suburb later that day.

He faced court via video link later that night.

The bail court heard that Stefanie Catalano was hospitalised and suffered a fractured tailbone.

The ABC said Catalano’s defence barrister, Jason Gullaci SC, told the March 13 hearing there were “triable issues” around how the incident in the apartment began and “whether the complainant was an active participant in it”.

“The aftermath on the face of it doesn’t look great,” he said.

During legal argument the court heard that Ms Catalano had made a police complaint against her husband in 2018, when he allegedly punched and headbutted her, but the case did not proceed due to insufficient evidence.

“However you cut it, he was not charged with any offence concerning that 2018 incident,” Mr Gullaci said.

Police argued to the court that Catalano should be held in custody, but Magistrate Rohan Lawrence released him on bail due to his lack of a prior conviction and potential legal delays.

The ABC said Magistrate Lawrence had described the alleged offending as “serious” and said Catalano could face jail time if found guilty of all charges.

“It is concerning violence, alleged to have been committed by Mr Catalano against Ms Catalano,” he said. “It was protracted and also occurring in her home.”

Catalano is due back in court on May 11. He has not entered a plea to the charges.

The board and executive leadership team of ACM have said that while the allegations against Catalano will be determined by the court, “violence against women is entirely against the values of our company and our mastheads”.

“ACM’s mastheads have a long and proud history of upholding the values of the audiences they represent. They are a trusted voice in keeping our communities strong, informed and connected. That will not change.”

ACM is the publisher of this masthead.

Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Men’s Referral Service 1300 776 491; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732

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