Brian Laundrie's lawyer says he flew home to Florida 'to empty a storage unit' five days after he and Gabby Petito got into a physical fight in Utah - before rejoining his fiancee just two days before her final phone call Attorney Steve Bertolino claimed Laundrie, 23, took a commercial flight from Salt Lake City, Utah to Tampa, Florida, on August 17 He returned five days later on August 23 'to rejoin Gabby' on their trip Bertolino said the purpose of the fleeting visit was to pick up items and close the unit because the couple were thinking of 'extending the road trip' The reported flight out of Utah came five days after police in Moab, Utah, were called to a report of a man slapping a woman on August 12 Bodycam footage shows Petito telling cops Laundrie hit and cut her 'with his nail' Laundrie's August 23 return came just days before Petito was last seen alive On August 25, she made her last phone call to her mom back in New York Witnesses say they saw 'an incident' with the couple in a restaurant on August 27 It is not yet clear when Petito died but her body was found September 19 By Rachel Sharp For Dailymail.com Published: 20:21 BST, 5 October 2021 | Updated: 20:21 BST, 5 October 2021 Viewcomments Brian Laundrie's lawyer has claimed the fugitive flew home to Florida 'to empty a storage unit' five days after he and Gabby Petito got into a physical fight in Utah - before then rejoining his fiancee just two days before she made her final phone call to her family. Attorney Steve Bertolino told Newsday Tuesday that Laundrie, 23, took a commercial flight from Salt Lake City, Utah to Tampa, Florida, on August 17. Five days later, on August 23, Laundrie then took a return flight 'to rejoin Gabby' for the remainder of their trip. Bertolino said the purpose of the fleeting visit was to pick up some items and close the storage unit because the young couple were thinking of 'extending the road trip' which was due to end in Oregon in October. But the trip was in fact cut short, with Laundrie driving the couple's white campervan back to his family's home in North Port, Florida, on September 1 while Petito's body was discovered in a park in Wyoming over two weeks later on September 19. Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito are pictured together. Brian Laundrie's lawyer has claimed the fugitive flew home to Florida 'to empty a storage unit' five days after he and Gabby Petito got into a physical fight in Utah Laundrie remains at large with a nationwide manhunt under way for the only person of interest in his fiancee's homicide. The additional details of the couple's whereabouts - and the fact they separated for five days - raises more questions about what happened on the doomed cross-country trip. Bertolino said he believed the couple shared the costs for Laundrie to make the detour. 'To my knowledge, Brian and Gabby paid for the flights as they were sharing expenses,' the attorney said. 'Brian flew home to obtain some items and empty and close the storage unit to save money as they contemplated extending the road trip.' Laundrie's alleged flight back to Florida came just days after the couple were separated by police in Moab, Utah, following a domestic incident. Bodycam footage from the August 12 encounter reveals a distraught Petito telling cops her fiance had hit her and cut her face by grabbing her 'with his nail' during a fight when he locked her out of their van. The 22-year-old, on who the officer noted marks on her arms and face, is then seen defending Laundrie saying she 'hit him first'. Police pulled over the couple's van in Moab, Utah, on August 12 following reports of a man hitting a woman The new bodycam shows Petito telling the cop the cut on her face 'burns' before defending her fiance saying she 'hit him first' when he locked her out of their van and refused to let her in Police had responded to a 911 call from a bystander who said they had seen a man slapping a woman outside the nearby Mayflower grocery store before driving off in a white van. Cops determined Petito was the 'primary aggressor' and separated the couple for the night - meaning they are thought to have reunited on August 13. According to Laundrie's attorney, five days after the police callout Laundrie left his fiancee and flew to Florida. It is not clear if Laundrie stayed at his parents' home in North Port or who he saw during that five-day period. His return on August 23 came two days before Petito made her final phone call to her mom on August 25. She is thought to have last been seen alive on August 27 at the Merry Piglets Tex-mex restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming, where the manager said she witnessed an 'incident' involving the couple. The coroner has not released details on when Petito died. He claims Petito was 'really worked up' and that he 'was just trying to push her away' when asked about allegations he had hit her Meanwhile, Laundrie is seen instantly defending himself and pushing the blame onto Petito as soon as the cop arrives on the scene Read more: Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility