Lizzie Buttrose: Police called to Sydney socialite’s Vaucluse home after argument

TWELVE months after hitting the bedroom panic button at her Vaucluse home following a domestic dispute, Sydney socialite Lizzie Buttrose has once again summoned police to her home.

Lizzie Buttrose and Scott Fay

TWELVE months after hitting the bedroom panic button at her Vaucluse home following a domestic dispute, Sydney socialite Lizzie Buttrose has once again summoned police to her luxury eastern suburbs home.

Rose Bay Police yesterday confirmed that at 10.50pm on Tuesday they received a “duress call” to attend a property in Vaucluse.

As many as four police cars were dispatched to the home of the 46-year-old niece of media identity Ita Buttrose.

At the house police encountered an upset Buttrose having an argument with her live-in partner Scott Fay.

It was in March last year that the couple famously rowed after a night out at the nearby Watson’s Bay Hotel.

When Fay, a 42-year-old finance worker, later received a late night text message to his phone from an unknown party after the pair retired to bed at 11.30pm, the couple argued.

When Buttrose asked who was sending messages so late in the evening, Fay replied: “Well get f….., who’s (name withheld)?”, referring to text messages Buttrose had received earlier, court documents would later show.

The argument flared with Fay calling his partner a “sl**” and Buttrose ordering Fay out of the house.

“Goodbye sl**” he said and left, allegedly damaging property as he went. Buttrose promptly hit a panic button ­installed on her bedroom wall which alerted a security company, and raised the alarm to police at Rose Bay.

Police attended and proceeded to lodge an interim apprehended violence order on Buttrose’s behalf against Fay, an ex-rugby vice-captain for St Joseph’s College and Australian Schools.

The AVO was later withdrawn however after Buttrose went to Waverley Court in August to oppose it.

The court documents stated Buttrose told police Fay “gets violent and smashes things” when he drinks.

A Rose Bay police spokesman yesterday said the latest incident would require no further follow-up and no AVO had been filed.

“As a result of police investigations, nothing suspicious was identified and no further actions are to be taken,” police said yesterday.