Details regarding the assault claims against media executive Antony Catalano have emerged following a Victorian court’s release of an audio recording from his recent bail hearing.
During the hearing, law enforcement officials informed the court that Mr. Catalano’s wife experienced such terror during the alleged assault that she clawed at his clothing to leave “signs of a struggle.”
Mr. Catalano has not yet entered a plea and is scheduled to appear in court again on May 11.
According to police reports, Mr. Catalano’s wife escaped from their high-end apartment and flagged down a vehicle for assistance after an extended attack that resulted in her hospitalization.
The ABC has disclosed comprehensive information about the allegations presented against Mr. Catalano during the bail application on the night of March 13, following the release of the hearing’s audio by the Magistrates Court of Victoria.
The arrest of Mr. Catalano has sent shockwaves through Australian Community Media (ACM), the newspaper organization he co-owns, as well as his broader business ventures, which include a hotel in Byron Bay.
After news of his arrest broke, Mr. Catalano was suspended from ACM, which publishes various regional and rural publications, and he subsequently admitted himself into a rehabilitation facility, expressing feelings of “deep shame and humiliation.”
The 59-year-old is facing serious charges, including assault, false imprisonment, and making threats to kill.
In the audio recording, Senior Constable Kiran Paramaguru stated to the court that Mr. Catalano was inebriated and clad only in his underwear when he allegedly assaulted his wife, Stefanie, around 12:30 AM on March 13. The couple had returned home separately after dinner the previous evening.
According to Senior Constable Paramaguru, Mr. Catalano began to yell at his wife concerning a welfare check requested by relatives days earlier. He allegedly approached her in a severely intoxicated state while she was already in bed.
“The victim was confronted by the accused, who began shouting at her about issues unrelated to her,” the officer recounted. “The accused then forcibly demanded the victim’s phone and escalated the unprovoked aggression by physically seizing her.”
It was reported that Mr. Catalano dragged his wife by her hair and ankles through their expansive apartment complex.
He purportedly pulled her into a laundry room and brandished a clothes iron towards her head, according to the court proceedings.
Despite Ms. Catalano’s screams for help, she was allegedly pulled back into the apartment by her hair after attempting to escape and waiting for an elevator.
Senior Constable Paramaguru recounted Mr. Catalano’s threat: “If you scream one more time, I’ll stab you to death.” The victim was in such fear that she felt her life was in danger and continued to scream rather than stop.
During the incident, Ms. Catalano reportedly clutched at her husband’s underwear in an effort to leave behind evidence of the altercation for police investigation.
Police indicated they had CCTV footage from locations within the apartment, as well as the foyer and corridor, which captured Ms. Catalano “pleading for her life” during the assault by her “very agitated” husband.
According to the officer, the footage shows Mr. Catalano reaching across his wife, who was on the floor, and swinging the iron at her with considerable force. “She was using every ounce of strength to wrestle the iron away from him, fearing it would be used to harm her,” Senior Constable Paramaguru stated.
Alarmed neighbors called the authorities after hearing the commotion, with the entire ordeal reportedly lasting an hour.
For anyone in need of immediate assistance, please contact emergency services at 000 or reach out to various domestic violence support hotlines.
A 27-second recording from a neighbor’s apartment captured the sounds of screams and Ms. Catalano repeatedly saying, “let me go.” Eventually, she managed to escape the apartment.
Senior Constable Paramaguru described how the victim ran into the street, urgently asking the first passing car to take her away from the area.
Initially, police were unable to locate Mr. Catalano, but he was apprehended later that day in a nearby suburb while wearing the underwear allegedly torn during the attack. He was taken to Prahran police station and appeared in court via video link that same night, where he was seen holding his head in his hands for much of the session.
The court was informed that Ms. Catalano was hospitalized and suffered a fractured coccyx as a result of the incident.
As of now, Mr. Catalano has yet to enter a plea.
During the March 13 hearing, Mr. Catalano’s defense attorney, Jason Gullaci SC, mentioned “tribal issues” regarding the origins of the incident and questioned whether the complainant played an active role in it. He acknowledged that the aftermath appeared concerning.
Legal arguments revealed that Ms. Catalano had previously lodged a police complaint against her husband in 2018, alleging he punched and headbutted her. However, the case did not advance due to a lack of evidence.
“Regardless of how you look at it, he was not charged with any crime relating to that 2018 incident,” Mr. Gullaci noted.
While the prosecution argued for Mr. Catalano to remain in custody, Magistrate Rohan Lawrence decided to grant him bail, citing his clean criminal record and potential delays in the legal process. Magistrate Lawrence acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and indicated that Mr. Catalano could face imprisonment if convicted.
