Marco Furia spent two weeks behind bars after his girlfriend accused him of knocking her unconscious outside his Bondi apartment block. Then his lawyer was given 25 minutes of CCTV footage and the businessman got bail

A businessman accused of assaulting his girlfriend could still be in jail if his lawyer doesn’t repeatedly ask police to locate CCTV footage of their confrontation.

Marco Furia was charged with two counts of assault involving actual bodily harm after Rossella Veraldi told police he knocked her unconscious in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Ms Veraldi said Furia hit her on the head outside his apartment in Bondi and she suffered serious injuries, including cuts and bruises, as a result.

Mr. Furia was arrested on the spot, denied bail by police and subject to a provisional force order to protect Ms. Veraldi.

Her version of events in Bondi formed the basis of a statement of fact presented when Mr Furia appeared before Waverley Local Court on 20 June.

Mr Furia had already been released on bail on charges of supplying a banned drug and dealing with the proceeds of crime, which was due to be heard on December 18.

These charges, to which the 41-year-old has pleaded not guilty, relate to an ounce of cocaine allegedly found under the passenger seat of a car in which Furia was driving.

When Furia appeared for the new assault charge, magistrate Ross Hudson revoked his bail, which had been granted in December 2021.

As Furia languished in prison, attorney Paul McGirr made numerous requests for police to find CCTV footage of his client’s encounter with Ms. Veraldi.

Police eventually provided 25 minutes of video of the alleged incident to Mr McGirr.

The CCTV footage shows Ms Veraldi following Mr Furia to the entrance of his apartment building, then grabs him from behind and drags him out by the arm after he opens the door.

Marco Furia (above) was charged with two counts of assault involving actual bodily harm after Rossella Veraldi told police he knocked her unconscious in Sydney’s eastern suburbs

She continues to push and pull him before Mr. Furia turns and appears to make contact with Mrs. Veraldi’s head with his elbow.

Mrs. Veraldi then lowers herself to the lobby floor, holding her head and rolling on the tiles as Mr. Furia walks away from her.

Mr. Furia returns to open the door and then leaves again. He returns a second time as Mrs. Veraldi sits up and stands in front of her as she walks out.

Mrs. Veraldi then lays down outside the apartment building and Mr. Furia exits the building.

Mr McGirr said the statement of facts failed to mention that Ms Veraldi had ‘repeated physical contact’ with his client, who he insisted was never the aggressor.

Mr Furia spent two weeks in custody before appearing before the Downing Center local court on July 3 when Mr McGirr was armed with the CCTV footage.

After seeing the CCTV footage, police did not oppose bail, and Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund granted bail of $100,000.

The bail conditions included that Furia not approach or attempt to contact Ms Veraldi except through her legal representatives.

He must also stay at the Odyssey House rehabilitation center in Eagle Vale in southwest Sydney and comply with the pre-trial detention order issued to protect Ms Veraldi.

Mr McGirr said Mr Furia’s affairs almost collapsed while he was on remand and that he would probably still be behind bars had the CCTV footage not emerged.

‘The police He locked him up, he claimed he was innocent, and they handcuffed him and dragged him off the scene,” he said.

The charges against Mr Furia will be heard at Waverley Local Court on September 26.