Media boss Antony Catalano, who is accused of viciously bashing his wife and threatening to stab her, has secured a legal win to reunite with his family in a coastal New South Wales town, despite the spate of charges he faces.
Catalano, the co-owner of Australian Community Media (ACM) and former high-profile Fairfax Media executive, again appeared via videolink at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, June 2, where a Melbourne magistrate granted him permission to leave Victoria in a brief hearing.
At his previous court appearance on May 11, Catalano's defence barrister, Tony Hargreaves, argued that a media frenzy outside the courthouse could harm his mental health, prompting the magistrate to give him special permission to appear via video link.
On Tuesday, the 59-year-old sported a black suit jacket and green tie and spoke only to inform the court that he could see and hear the proceedings clearly.
Mr Hargreaves requested that Catalano's bail restrictions be eased to allow him to reunite with the woman he is alleged to have attacked, as well as his family.
The disgraced media boss was previously prohibited him from leaving the state of Victoria, a common stipulation in most bail restrictions.
However, Mr Hargreaves said the clause meant the media boss "couldn't go to Byron Bay to see his wife and children," and argued this restriction was "no longer necessary".
Victoria Police did not oppose the changes.
The criminal case against Catalano was adjourned until July 1, with Mr Hargreaves indicating a resolution had not yet been reached with Victoria Police.
Catalano was arrested on March 13, wearing only his underwear, after fleeing his St Kilda apartment where he allegedly attacked his wife, Stefanie Catalano, just hours earlier.
The alleged assault, which police say was unprovoked and continued for about one hour, left Ms Catalano in hospital with a fractured tailbone.
Catalano is facing eight charges, including intentionally choking, strangling, or suffocating a family member, recklessly causing injury, assault, false imprisonment and making threats to kill.
During a late-night bail hearing on the night Catalano was arrested, Victoria Police Senior Constable Kiran Paramaguru told the court Ms Catalano was "pleading for her life" while she was allegedly attacked by her husband shortly after 12.30am on March 13, as reported by the ABC.
The court heard Catalano allegedly dragged Ms Catalano around the apartment by her hair and ankles, and threatened to stab her if she screamed.
The court was told CCTV footage from inside the apartment showed Catalano reaching for a clothes iron.
"[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," Senior Constable Paramaguru 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."
He said she was eventually able to flee the couple's apartment and flag down a passing car for help.
He was placed on an indefinite leave of absence from his role at ACM, the publisher of this masthead, following his arrest.
