Accused domestic abuser Antony Catalano has attended court in person for the first time since being charged with threatening to kill his wife in their multimillion-dollar St Kilda penthouse.
Catalano arrived at court on Friday morning with his new barrister, Dermot Dann, KC, after a meeting in his city chambers.
Catalano, who built his business empire in the media industry, strolled inside Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to meet also with his lawyer Tony Hargreaves.
The complainant in the case, Catalano’s wife Stefanie, is currently overseas and is expected to tune into Friday’s hearing remotely, according to sources who spoke to this masthead on the condition of anonymity.
Catalano, the former chief executive of Domain, is accused of an alleged hour-long attack on her that ended when she escaped the couple’s St Kilda home and fled onto the street for help.
In March, the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard Catalano was abusing substances and wearing only underwear when he allegedly threatened to kill his wife and dragged her through their luxury apartment.
CCTV allegedly showed the 59-year-old dragging her by her hair and ankles before brandishing an iron and swinging it with force towards her head in the laundry. Police allege Stefanie grabbed her husband’s underwear in the hope of leaving evidence for police if she were killed.
After fleeing onto the street, Stefanie told investigators she then flagged down a motorist for help. Catalano was arrested hours later and then released on bail.
Catalano has been charged with making threats to kill, unlawful imprisonment, recklessly causing injury, intentionally choke, strangle or suffocate, and four counts of assault.
He is yet to enter a plea on the charges, but his legal team earlier indicated there were “triable issues” to work through.
The couple – who share four children alongside Antony’s further five children from previous marriages – have since reconciled their marriage.
The complainant has told Victoria Police she does not support the case against her husband and will not give evidence against him, although she could still be subpoenaed to do so.
Since the assault, she has also filed two “statements of no complaint” with Victoria Police and has also lodged an ethical standards complaint about her treatment in the months since her husband’s arrest. She has alleged authorities were seeking to “destroy” her millionaire businessman husband.
In family violence matters, police often proceed with their case regardless of a complainant’s change of heart to ensure victim safety. In the case of the Catalanos, CCTV footage of the common areas adjacent to the couple’s $30 million apartment has been seized and is expected to be relied upon by prosecutors.
After Catalano was charged and released on bail in March, he entered a residential rehabilitation facility. At the time, he said he was “struggling with significant mental health and substance abuse issues”.
The real estate executive turned regional media entrepreneur is on leave from his positions at Australian Community Media and View Media Group. Last month, he also resigned from his directorships of 19 Cashews and 20 Cashews, the investment vehicles he had controlled alongside billionaire Alex Waislitz.
The entity owns Australian Community Media, publisher of The Canberra Times and Newcastle Herald among others, and has a significant stake in View Media Group.
Catalano is due to face court on Friday for a contest mention.
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