Media mogul due to face court on assault charges

Antony Catalano (file)
Antony Catalano is expected to face court charged with assaulting his wife. -AAP Image

Media mogul Antony Catalano is expected to appear in court for the first time since being accused of assaulting his wife.

Catalano, 59, was charged with assault, false imprisonment and making threats to kill over an incident in the early hours of March 13.

It's alleged he grabbed his wife Stefanie by the hair and ankles and dragged her around a Melbourne apartment, according to multiple media reports.

He's also accused of swinging an iron at her. 

Catalano, the co-owner of Australian Community Media, successfully sought bail after the incident during a late-night court hearing.

He is due to return to Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday for a mention hearing. 

Australian Community Media, the country's largest regional and rural digital media company, owns titles including The Canberra Times and The Newcastle Herald.

Catalano purchased the business from Nine Entertainment for $115 million in 2019.

He spent 26 years with Fairfax and was chief executive of Domain for four years, leading the property classifieds operation through its 2017 spin-off from Fairfax into a separately listed business.

ACM general manager Tony Kendall confirmed in March that Catalano was placed on "an immediate leave of absence" until the court case was resolved.