Anthony Koletti, 44, the husband of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick, was cleared of charges related to an alleged common assault on Julie Brandon, 73, in Sydney’s Vaucluse park in July 2025. Judge Scott Nash found insufficient evidence that Koletti acted deliberately or recklessly when he allegedly collided with Ms. Brandon while walking past her and her dog. The incident occurred as police were investigating Caddick's disappearance and fraud case involving $23 million.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In July 2025, Julie Brandon, a 73-year-old woman, claimed that she was pushed by Anthony Koletti, the husband of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick, while walking her dog in Vaucluse, Sydney. Police released a photo of Koletti one day after the incident and charged him with common assault when he allegedly brushed past Brandon forcefully. During his trial at Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, Judge Scott Nash found insufficient evidence to prove that Koletti acted deliberately or recklessly. Caddick is presumed dead after defrauding family and friends of $23 million since her disappearance in 2020. Koletti left the court without making any comment on the verdict.
Written for “Melissa Caddick Case Developments” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
The husband of a missing conwoman accused of shoving an elderly woman to the ground at a Sydney park has been cleared of the charge.
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husband → miss → charge
Hairdresser and part-time DJ Anthony Koletti, 44, appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday after previously pleading not guilty to one count of common assault.
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Koletti → appear → assault
He is the husband of Melissa Caddick, a self-styled financial adviser who vanished in 2020 and is presumed dead after defrauding family and friends of $23 million.
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who → style → million
Koletti was accused of shoulder-barging Julie Brandon, 73, while she and a friend were walking her dog at a clifftop park in Vaucluse, in Sydney's east, in July 2025.
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she → accuse → July
Judge Scott Nash found the prosecution had been unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Koletti had acted deliberately or recklessly when he collided with Ms Brandon, The Australian reported.
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Australian → find → Brandon
'I don't know enough about how this collision or strike occurred to make any finding as to his state of mind,' he said.
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he → know → mind
Koletti declined to comment as he left court on Tuesday afternoon.
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he → decline → afternoon
The court previously heard Ms Brandon was allegedly knocked to the ground after being struck from behind.
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Brandon → hear → ground
Anthony Koletti (pictured at Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday) has been cleared of shoving an elderly woman to the ground
Koletti (right) is the widower of missing conwoman Melissa Caddick (left), who vanished without a trace in November 2020
'All of a sudden, this person barged into my shoulder and then I fell over onto the ground,' she testified in June.
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she → picture → June
'I fell down onto my left butt cheek, I was quite shocked actually.'
Ms Brandon shouted out to Koletti, who did not stop and kept walking.
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who → fall → Koletti
She had been walking with her then-friend, Ericka Van Aalstem, who told the court she did not see the alleged shove.
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she → walk → shove
Bodycam footage of Koletti's police interview was also played in court.
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footage → play → court
The footage captured him being shown a series of photos and being asked if he knew the man pictured.
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he → capture → man
'Yeah … that's definitely me, yep,' Koletti replied.
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Koletti → reply → ?
'Wait a minute … what actually happened?'
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what → wait → ?
Julie Brandon (pictured with her husband) alleged that Anthony Koletti pushing her to the ground while walking her dog at a park in Vaucluse in July 2025
Koletti was charged one day after police released a photo of a man they wished to speak to regarding the alleged assault of a 73-year-old woman in July 2025
An officer explained to Koletti that a woman had alleged he knocked her over and 'just kept walking'.
'I mean I had my earphones on …
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I → picture → earphones
I wouldn't be able to hear them,' Koletti replied.
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Koletti → hear → them
He repeatedly denied any knowledge of the allegation.
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He → deny → allegation
'It's news to me,' Koletti added.
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Koletti → add → me
The court heard that Koletti believed police wanted to speak to him about his wife's belongings after he was invited to the station by the officer leading the investigation into Caddick's disappearance.
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he → hear → disappearance
However, he was instead taken into an interview room by two other officers and questioned about the alleged assault.
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he → take → assault
'I would have called a lawyer if I had known,' Koletti told the court.
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Koletti → call → court
'I had no idea, I was shocked.'
Caddick, 49, disappeared in November 2020, days after her luxury home in Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs was raided by ASIC agents investigating her $23 million Ponzi scheme.
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home → have → scheme
The fraudster's detached right foot, still attached to a running shoe, washed up on a beach on the NSW south coast in February 2021.
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foot → attach → February
Coroner Elizabeth Ryan ruled in May 2023 that Caddick was dead but was unable to determine the cause because most of her body had not been found.
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most → rule → body
The Aporia
