Real estate agent Augusto Gerocarni slapped his girlfriend ‘after an argument about a holiday’: Now the Ray White contractor has learned his fate in court

A successful Sydney real estate agent who punched his ex-girlfriend in the face, leaving a bruise, has been jailed.

Augusto Gerocarni, 29, a contractor for Ray White in the city’s eastern suburbs, was arrested and charged in September last year after attacking his then-girlfriend Lindsey Bennett.

Gerocarni last week pleaded guilty to one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to an incident that took place at his Bondi Junction apartment on June 29, 2022.

The court heard he and his partner of three and a half years had gotten into an argument over her passport for an upcoming holiday.

During a scuffle, Gerocarni grabbed his former partner’s wrist, causing her to drop her phone, which was damaged upon landing.

Ms Bennett then tried to punch Gerocarni, who used his arms to protect himself, the court heard.

He then punched her on the right side of her face, leaving a bruise.

Further charges of common assault and destruction or damage to property were considered at sentencing at Sydney’s Downing Center Court on Wednesday.

Gerocarni admitted to punching his girlfriend in the face during a fight in June 2022

Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson sentenced Gerocarni to a two-year conditional discharge order, supervised by Community Corrections.

An apprehended violence order issued on behalf of Ms Bennett will be in force for five years, with Gerocarni also ordered to take an anger management course.

His lawyer had argued against recording a conviction because of his “good character” and to spare him and his loved ones from “significant embarrassment.”

He also said it should be noted that Gerocarni took responsibility for the incident and Ms Bennett bought a new phone after it was damaged during the scuffle.

Magistrate Atkinson did not record a conviction but pressed Gerocarni on the seriousness of the domestic violence offences.

“We must reiterate the message that domestic violence is wrong,” she told the court.

‘What was achieved during the incident? You should have walked away and let things calm down. It doesn’t accomplish anything.

“You hit her with an open palm. That shouldn’t have happened. You should have walked away.

‘It is very important that you realize that this cannot happen again. We can’t forget that she is the victim in this.’

Gerocarni had initially pleaded not guilty to offenses including common assault, destroying or damaging property, attempting to stalk/intimidate intentional fear of harm and four charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

An apprehended violence order on behalf of Ms Bennett will last for five years

After negotiations, he pleaded guilty to one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm last Wednesday. His remaining charges were dropped and dismissed.

Ms Bennett, who works as a model and nurse, was in a relationship with Gerocarni for three and a half years before ending it in June last year.

She had lived with him in his unit in Bondi Junction and in another apartment in the same suburb.

Gerocarni had worked for an independent contractor of Ray White since 2016.

His Instagram account, now deleted, was once full of photos of the sale of multimillion-dollar homes in Sydney’s affluent east.