{
  "id": 14857745,
  "title": "Media mogul Antony Catalano denies strangling wife in assault court case",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/media-mogul-antony-catalano-denies-strangling-wife-in-assault-court",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T03:23:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-16/melbourne-antony-catalano-assault-court/107275508"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Media mogul Antony Catalano, 59, has denied strangling his wife Stefanie during an alleged assault at their luxury apartment this year, according to his defence lawyer. The case, which includes charges of assault, false imprisonment, making threats to kill, and recklessly causing injury, was first laid by police seven months ago. Catalano appeared in court for the first time on Friday, following the adjournment of the case until December 14. His lawyer, Dermot Dann KC, stated that security footage from the St Kilda apartment would contradict the police's account, showing Catalano did not commit the alleged strangulation or attempt to strike his wife with a clothes iron. Stefanie Catalano has reportedly no longer wished to proceed with the case, and her husband remains open to resolving it through a plea deal or prosecutors dropping the charges. The defence barrister noted that there were significant challenges to the police's case against his client.",
  "summary": "Defence lawyers for Mr Catalano said the 59-year-old was attempting to rebuild his life, and that his wife no longer wanted the case against her husband to proceed.",
  "key_points": [
    "Antony Catalano, 59, denies strangling wife Stefanie in assault case.",
    "Security footage contradicts police account, showing no strangulation.",
    "Stefanie Catalano withdraws from case, husband open to plea deal."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The defense's reliance on security footage to challenge the police account shifts the focus toward technical evidence in a case involving serious allegations of domestic violence.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}