Augusto Gerocarni Putrino pleads guilty to assaulting ex

A real estate agent from a prominent eastern suburbs agency has admitted to assaulting his partner the day he was to defend several domestic violence charges at hearing.

Eastern suburbs real estate agent Augusto Gerocarni Putrino.

A realtor at a prominent eastern suburbs agency slapped his long-term girlfriend, causing facial bruising, and caused her iPhone to smash in an argument about a passport application.

Realtor Augustino Gerocarni Putrino was charged with four counts of assault causing actual bodily harm, one count of common assault, one count of malicious damage and one count of attempted intimidation in September last year.

Police subsequently added charges of intimidation, common assault and malicious damage ahead of a planned hearing after Putrino pleaded not guilty to the offences.

The allegations dated back to 2021 and 2022 during his relationship with his then-partner of three and a half years.

But after negotiations on the day of the intended hearing at Waverley Local Court, Putrino instead pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm, with the court to consider further charges of common assault and malicious damage on sentence.

The remaining charges were formally withdrawn and dismissed.

Waverley Local Court. Picture: Damian Shaw

Court documents tendered to Waverley Local Court reveal all three charges pertain to a single incident at Putrino’s Bondi Junction apartment on June 29, 2022.

“The victim and the accused engaged in a verbal argument in relation to complications with the victim’s passport application for an upcoming holiday,” court documents state.

“During the argument, the accused grabbed the wrist of the victim, which resulted in her mobile phone falling to the ground and the mobile phone was damaged.”

Police say the woman then attempted to slap Putrino in an ensuing scuffle, with Putrino using his arms to protect himself.

The woman has not been charged with any offences.

“The accused struck the victim in the face with an open palm, resulting in a bruise to the right side of the victim’s face,” the court documents state.

“The accused subsequently purchased a new phone for the victim.”

Putrino will be sentenced at the Downing Centre Local Court on February 7 and will remain on bail and subject to an interim apprehended violence order in the meantime.