Fraudster Melissa Caddick’s ex Anthony Koletti fronts court to fight assault allegations

The husband of fraudster Melissa Caddick has claimed he was intimidated by police during an interview about allegations he “shouldered” an elderly woman in a park in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Anthony Koletti, 43, pleaded not guilty to common assault over the incident in Vaucluse last July.

Police allege Mr Koletti was walking in the Lighthouse Sanctuary in Vaucluse when he randomly advanced towards two strangers.

He then “shouldered” a 73-year-old woman, according to police.

Following a police request for information, Mr Koletti attended Waverley Police Station where he was arrested and charged with assault.

In Downing Center Local Court on Thursday, a NSW Police officer who interviewed Mr Koletti was called to give evidence before body-worn footage of the interview was shown to the court.

In the video, Mr. Koletti repeatedly denies the allegations after being told that he was accused of “hitting or knocking over the shoulder” of the woman.

The police officer said the woman claimed she had knocked him over and was calling out to him, but he “kept walking.”

“So I had my headphones on,” Mr. Koletti replied to the officer.

The hairdresser appeared in court with his lawyer Zali Burrows.

Ms Burrows argued her client was “intimidated” by police during the interview.

He said he thought Mr Koletti had been called there about matters relating to his wife, not an allegation against himself, and that he had not had the opportunity to seek legal advice before the meeting.

“This is entrapment in its worst form… it’s clear he doesn’t know what’s going on,” he said.

Mr Koletti then took the stand and said he had “no idea” why he was in the police interrogation room.

“I felt threatened,” he said.

“Did you feel or believe that you answered these questions under pressure?” Mrs. Burrows asked.

“I think yes it is,” he replied.

But Judge Scott Nash said the interview process was “entirely appropriate” after viewing body-worn footage and hearing submissions from both parties.

Judge Nash said he accepted that being called to the police station would create a “feeling of uneasiness” and that Mr Koletti had just finished a day’s work; but he said the officers explained the allegation in the interview and gave Mr. Koletti an appropriate warning.

“There was a fairly freewheeling discussion between the officers and Mr. Koletti… there is no evidence of any deception,” he said.

Complainant Julie Brandon was called to the stand Thursday afternoon and said that on the day of the alleged incident, someone attacked her, causing her to fall to the ground.

“I couldn’t keep my balance and fell,” he said.

“I called out to him and said, ‘Hey, there’s police upstairs.'”

Ms Brandon said she was “very lucky” that she “didn’t break anything” when she fell.

When asked about the breakdown in her relationship with the friend who was with her on the day of the alleged assault, Ms Brandon said: “It was upsetting to me because she felt like she wasn’t supporting me…she was my only witness.”

Ms Burrows continued to question the woman about her statements, accusing her of lying and giving different details in her police statement last year.

“I’m not making anything up,” he said.

“You are doing everything possible to sue my client with an untrue version of events… you were trying to make some money,” Ms. Burrows replied.

“Can you please tell me how I can make money from this?”

Meanwhile, a friend of the alleged victim also gave evidence and said Ms Brandon “fell into it” and fell to the ground while they were out for a walk with their dog in Vaucluse.

The victim did not require medical treatment.

“I felt him fall inside me, I felt his weight… so I fell sideways. He fell and told me ‘he pushed me’,” she told the court.

Miss Brandon fell on the grass and saw a man walking away in the distance.

“I took a photo of the back of the man walking north in the distance, I took two photos,” he said.

The friend said there was no interaction with the man and took another photo of a person walking southbound, who he said had “similar demeanor” to the person walking north earlier who was dressed similarly.

Ms Burrows asked the woman if she had seen anyone push her friend.

“No, I didn’t see anyone, but I felt their weight falling on me,” the woman said.

“He might have stumbled, do you agree?” Mrs. Burrows asked.

“It is possible for people to trip and fall,” the witness replied.

Months later, the woman explained that, along with other personal issues and illness, the process of giving evidence had become “a bit too much” for her.

The court was told the couple were at a dog training class one day late last year when an argument broke out.

“He said if I didn’t go to the police and give a statement, our friendship would end and he would lose a lot of money,” the woman said.

Ms. Burrows asked her friend what she meant by “losing a lot of money.”

“He didn’t give an explanation… anything could have happened,” the woman said.

Mr Koletti previously represented himself in court last year, pleading not guilty, but has since been represented by Ms Burrows, a high-profile lawyer known for representing the likes of Bruce Lehrmann and maverick politician Mark Latham.

Caddick disappeared in November 2020, a day after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission raided his Dover Heights home over a $23 million Ponzi scheme he used to fund a lavish lifestyle.

He posed as a financial advisor in the eastern suburbs and stole millions of dollars from more than 50 investors.

In 2023, a coroner determined Caddick was dead but was unable to determine his manner or cause of death after a foot crashed on the NSW South Coast three months after the crook went missing.

Mr Koletti is not alleged to have had any involvement in Caddick’s scams or disappearance.

The two-day hearing continues.