Remo Cignetti sentenced after attack of News Corp journalist Eliza Barr

A man who lashed out at a female journalist reporting on his influencer daughter’s drug supply shame has told a court it was a misguided attempt to protect his child.

Remo Cignetti (back right) appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on Friday.

A man who lashed out at a female journalist reporting on his influencer daughter’s drug supply shame has told a court he was trying to protect his child.

Remo Cignetti, of Maroubra, appeared at Downing Centre Local Court where he was sentenced after previously pleading guilty to assaulting News Corp reporter Eliza Barr.

The attack came minutes after his daughter Arabella Cignetti was sentenced to a nine-month intensive corrections order for drug supply. The sentence is being appealed.

Agreed facts reveal about 12.10pm on January 11, the 61-year-old was exiting the court when Ms Barr, in her role as a journalist, followed and filmed the group on her mobile phone.

This prompted Cignetti’s wife to approach Ms Barr and tell her to stop recording. Cignetti then walked up behind the journalist and snatched her phone from her hand.

Newscorp journalist Eliza Barr on the ground after being assaulted by Remo Cignetti.

Facts state Cignetti used his left hand to “turn the victim to face him” and due to the force of both the “snatch and the pull”, Ms Barr put her hands up to protect her face. She immediately lost balance and fell to the ground.

Cignetti then placed the victim’s phone on the ground and left. Court documents state Ms Barr “experienced discomfort’ from the attack and was concerned for her safety.

Remo Cignetti's lawyer Craig Murray.

Cignetti’s lawyer Craig Murray said his client “had never been before the court” and was “really upset” and “remorseful” following the attack.

In painting the picture of the incident, Mr Murray told the court Cignetti was supporting his daughter “who had been through a very, very difficult time” when she was sentenced moments earlier.

When leaving the court, a News Corp photographer took a photo which led to Cignetti’s wife plead for it to be deleted as her daughter Arabella “ran off hysterically”. Mr Murray told the court Ms Barr then pursued Arabella.

Mr Murray said his client’s only intention was to “take the phone” out of Ms Barr’s hand and “calmly” place it on the ground.

The lawyer criticised media coverage following the attack on the working journalist.

“I don’t know whether it was a slow news day … [it was] some form of provocation and harassment,” he said.

Following the incident, Mr Murray said Cignetti and his wife went into a nearby court building “to get assistance”.

The court heard Cignetti’s daughter was in the “foetal position on the floor”.

Mr Murray called for the court to dismiss the charge.

Magistrate Daniel Covington accepted Cignetti’s clean record and the “unique circumstances” of the matter.

“As you recognise … (Ms Barr) was there to do her job,” the magistrate said. “Reporters will always be at courts. Reporters will in certain matters film various people as they leave [court].”

Cignetti was sentenced to a 12-month conditional release order without conviction.

As Cignetti was photographed by a journalist leaving court, his lawyer remarked it was “history trying to repeat itself”.