Andrew O’Keefe: Former TV star to face hearing on DV charges, resisting arrest

Tense court scenes erupted as embattled TV star Andrew O’Keefe scoffed at a cop’s testimony after footage was aired — and he spoke outside court after other charges were dropped.

Embattled television star Andrew O’Keefe has said he is “relieved but not surprised” charges of assaulting a sex worker were dropped.

The 51-year-old made the comments outside court after he faced a hearing for separate domestic violence charges.

In that hearing, footage of a woman who was allegedly spat on, hit, and kicked by embattled television star Andrew O’Keefe was played to the court.

In the recording, dated September 8, 2021, Constable Elissa Major is heard asking a crying woman about alleged marks on her arm.

Just after 7:30pm, Ms Major asks the woman: “I see you have stuff on your arm there – did he do that?”

Struggling to speak through her tears as she stands inside an apartment, the woman responds: “yep” before Ms Major says she’s going to “take a quick look at your arm”.

Andrew O'Keefe is facing a hearing on domestic violence charges. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard

Two separate videos of interviews with O’Keefe on the same night were also played in court.

One showed O’Keefe sitting on indoor steps, while Ms Major asked about his “chest pain”. She asked if he needed an ambulance, but O’Keefe said he did not.

In footage taken later that night at St Vincent’s Hospital, O’Keefe is heard telling Ms Major: “this woman has a history of making outrageous claims… these claims are false”.

During cross-examination, Defence lawyer Richard Pontello asked Ms Major about a conversation allegedly had after she turned off her body worn camera at St Vincent’s Hospital.

The 51-year-old scoffed in court as a police officer gave evidence. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard

He asked if O’Keefe had suggested the victim’s injuries to “the inside of her wrist” were “self-inflicted” and that he said he was “sure it wasn’t intentional… it may have been an expression of stress”.

But Ms Major said the words about intention and stress were “never spoken” – to which O’Keefe made an audible scoff.

She accepted O’Keefe spoke some words about the injuries potentially being self-inflicted while her camera was off, but did not recall him asking for her to put it back on.

She also said that conversation was “very short”.

When Mr Pontello asked if “further tests (were done) to forensically examine the wrist and see whose fingers were most likely to cause the injury,” Ms Major responded: “no”.

Magistrate Viney accepted the prosecution’s application to consider prior similar alleged incidents involving O’Keefe when considering the case against him.

“There is a unique combination of allegations, in particular in this matter, the reference to spitting in her face, the use of both striking and kicking, the fact there is suggestion the complainant is held down,” Magistrate Viney said.

The former TV star has had other assault charges dropped. NSW Picture: NewsWire/Monique Harmer

O’Keefe is facing a two-day hearing after pleading not guilty to two domestic assault charges — common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm — as well as resisting arrest.

Earlier on Monday, the 51-year-old had separate charges of choking, pinching and kicking a 38-year-old sex worker dropped after the court heard she had returned to her home country.

It was believed they started arguing after O’Keefe called in a debt for $20,000 and the woman asked for more money to further a business she planned to build. Earlier in court, his legal team argued the woman attacked him with a cricket bat and scissors and he needed to defend himself.

But as the woman had left Australia, Prosecutor Michael Cleaver dismissed those charges.

Dressed in a green suit and brown tie, O’Keefe sat behind his lawyer as the hearing for the 2021 assault charges began.

At one point, while looking down at his laptop, O’Keefe’s phone rang loudly — causing Magistrate Mary Viney to ask: “seriously?”

O’Keefe also pleaded guilty to one count of contravening an apprehended violence order.

He was granted strict bail in May to stay in a long-term residential rehabilitation facility in Port Stephens, after spending almost five months in custody on remand.

O’Keefe pleaded guilty to a separate drug possession charge on 11 February last year and he was yet to enter a plea on a second drug possession charge.

The long-time Channel 7 TV presenter’s fall from success followed a long and glowing career.

As well as being the face of many prime time programs, he served on the National Council for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and founded the related White Ribbon Australia organisation.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2017 for his charity work and TV achievements.

The hearing continues.

Originally published as Andrew O’Keefe: Former TV star to face hearing on DV charges, resisting arrest