Andrew O’Keefe refused bail after being charged with choking a woman

Former television host Andrew O’Keefe is being treated like any other prisoner in ­Silverwater Jail as he awaits his next court appearance.

Fallen TV star Andrew O’Keefe is being treated like any other prisoner in ­Silverwater Jail as he awaits his next court appearance in five days.

Sources have told The Sunday Telegraph the ex-Channel 7 presenter is isolated from the main prison population, but that is routine for fresh custodies for the first 14 days.

Former television host Andrew O’Keefe is being held at Silverwater Jail until his next court appearance. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

O’Keefe’s lawyer Sharon Ramsden applied for his release when he appeared in Central Local Court on Friday accused of choking and attacking a woman in his inner city apartment.

She argued O’Keefe should be released into a residential drug rehabilitation facility for treatment for mental health issues.

O’Keefe groaned as magistrate Robert Williams denied him bail.

Sources say all fresh ­custodies are screened for mental health issues.

O’Keefe claimed he was acting in self defence on Tuesday when he allegedly assaulted the 38-year-old woman who had come to his Kent St home on Tuesday to discuss a business deal.

He is charged with two counts of choking a person, three counts of common assault and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

VISIBLY AGITATED ANDREW O’KEEFE REFUSED BAIL

Troubled ex-TV host Andrew O’Keefe shouted “no justice, f**k” and appeared to momentarily convulse as he was refused bail charged with assaulting and choking a woman.

The one-time White Ribbon ambassador on Friday appeared at Central Local Court via video link after he was on Thursday charged with assaulting and choking a 38-year-old woman.

Police allege the pair were discussing business dealings when an argument erupted and O’Keefe allegedly attacked the woman in his apartment on Kent St on Tuesday afternoon.

He has been charged with two counts of intentionally choking a person without consent, three counts of common assault and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Andrew O'Keefe. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

Dressed in red pants with a shaved head and blue glasses, the father-of-three was visibly agitated and shouted “no justice. F**k” as Magistrate Robert Williams refused him bail, describing the allegations as “serious” and finding no rehabilitation facilities were readily available to him.

O’Keefe’s lawyer Sharon Ramsden applied for his release, arguing he should be released into a residential drug rehabilitation facility for treatment for mental health issues.

“That level of treatment and medication might not be available to O’Keefe whilst in custody,” she said, pointing to the fact he had not taken his medication since being arrested on Thursday.

She also told the court that O’Keefe had sustained “substantial” injuries in the disagreement with the complainant and that self-defence could not be ruled out.

Ms Ramsden also pointed to the fact while O’Keefe was on bail for other matters, he had no criminal history.

However, prosecution lawyer Chris Manning argued O’Keefe’s history of offending meant he should remain behind bars, saying he posed an “unacceptable risk” to the community.

O’Keefe was visibly distressed as the prosecution read out their argument, rolling his eyes, clasping his head in his hands and at one point stating “that’s ridiculous” when Mr Manning argued his behaviour had escalated.

O’Keefe in the back of a police wagon on Thursday. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

The court heard the alleged victim’s injuries were “significant”, including marks to her face and legs and scratch marks across her chest.

The prosecution also argued the only way the woman could break free when she was allegedly being choked was biting the arm of the accused, to which O’Keefe let out an exasperated sigh.

Mr Manning also put to the court that O’Keefe’s prospects of rehabilitation was limited given he had been undergoing treatment with a psychiatrist, psychologist and medication for several months.

The magistrate refused the application for release, describing the allegations as “serious” and finding it was “aggravated” by his previous offences. He also noted the lack of readily available rehabilitation facilities.

When the magistrate referred to the “seriousness” of the alleged choking, O’Keefe flapped his hands in the air and pointed angrily at his throat, saying “there was no choke”.

The defence argued the complainant attended the applicant’s house uninstructed after asking for help with a card in a text exchange prior to the alleged offence.

The prosecutor noted O’Keefe had domestic violence offences dismissed at Waverley Court last year on mental health grounds, stating there had been two offences since then.

Mr Manning also said that O’Keefe was on bail for another offence when the alleged offending occurred.

He also argued the offence had gone on for a “significant period of time”.

Expert documents tendered to the court state that O’Keefe suffered from mood disturbances, depression in the context of PTSD, substance use and methamphetamine disorder.

A sketch showing Andrew O’Keefe in court via video link. Picture: Vincent de Gouw/NCA NewsWire

His lawyer said that rehabilitation facilities at the Sydney Clinic were not available until next week, with the prosecuting noting they were subject to O’Keefe’s private health insurance.

The magistrate said the prosecution had a “reasonably strong” case against O’Keefe.

After the magistrate refused him bail, he also appeared to visibly convulse, with his eyes momentarily rolling into the back of his head.

O’Keefe will receive mental health treatment from Justice Health while in custody.

The matter has been listed before the Downing Centre Local Court on February 4, 2022.

Earlier on Friday, the court heart the former Weekend Sunrise host was being assessed by a clinician and a mental health report was tendered to the court by O’Keefe’s psychiatrist.

O’Keefe spent the night in custody at Surry Hills Police Station after being refused police bail on Thursday, a far cry from the comforts of his Sydney CBD penthouse apartment.

He appeared distressed as he was driven away in a paddy wagon from Day Street Police Station wearing red pants and a grey hoodie.

He could be heard screaming from the back of the van: “F**k you, I’m a victim of crime. I’m a victim of crime you f**kwits” and appeared to throw himself against the vehicle.

The father-of-three was for several years an ambassador for domestic violence organisation White Ribbon and has spoken out about the importance of men “role modelling” behaviour to prevent violence against women.

O’Keefe, who has previously been awarded an Australia Day honour for his charity work, was a host with Channel 7 for 17 years, before his contract was not renewed in 2021.

ANDREW O’KEEFE’S TV CAREER

O’Keefe has appeared on Australian TV screens for more than a decade and made his debut on the sketch comedy series Big Bite on Channel 7.

His career with the network continued to grow, and he went on to present the network’s breakfast program, Weekend Sunrise, from 2006 to 2017, and Deal or No Deal from 2003-2013, before taking up hosting duties for The Chase Australia.

He was considered one of the network’s most popular and bankable stars, especially in the difficult breakfast timeslot. After 17 years with Seven, his contract was not ­renewed and he left the network in February last year.

The break-up with Seven followed a decade of incidents, which escalated in seriousness, especially in the last year of his tenure. Seven sources say the final straw was an incident in a hire car on the way home from filming The Chase, in which the driver had to pull over and leave O’Keefe in the vehicle.

Andrew O'Keefe was a popular host of The Chase. Picture: Seven Network

Several sources said new CEO James Warburton was less tolerant of bad behaviour and ordered the network part ways with O’Keefe.

“There was a time when the network thought it could help him deal with his problems, fix him,” a source said.

“It was thought that to lose his job would only make the problem worse and they wanted to try everything to help him.

“He was a good performer when he was on it, quite versatile, and he was popular with viewers of the game shows and mornings.”

O’Keefe was sent to rehabilitation several times by Seven, including a session he revealed in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph in 2019.

“But it reached the point where his place here became untenable and we parted ways,” the source says.

One network source said one of the problems with dealing with O’Keefe early on was the legal minefield ending his tenure with the network presented and the potential cost of ending his contract prematurely.

He said a loyal Seven boss Kerry Stokes and senior executive David Leckie initially supported O’Keefe because they “hoped the network could help him work things out”.

Another source at the network said: “They held onto him because he was such a good guy, hard worker, well liked. People tried to see the good in him because he was very popular.

“He was really well liked at Seven.

Andrew O'Keefe has been to rehab a number of times. Picture: Tim Hunter

“People liked his vulnerability and there were discussions about whether to keep him or let him go a year before we actually let him go.

“When the HR issues started to pile up, they had no choice. He went to rehab five times while working at Seven.

“They held onto him for so long because he wasn’t at the stage he is. Hearing his voice for those of us who worked with him, is actually shocking and really upsetting.

“He had issues back in the day but was never violent.

“His wife kept him safe and well behaved and now he doesn’t have her or a job, he has nothing to live for.

“Now his descent into rock bottom has been since he has been cut from Seven.”

The roll call of bad behaviour began to hit the headlines in September 2009 when O’Keefe went on a boozy binge that saw him crawling along Melbourne’s Chapel Street.

At the time, the Deal or No Deal host did not deny he was caught in an intoxicated state outside a Prahran nightclub.

“I thrive on hard work and when the work is done I like to gather everyone together and celebrate, as we have so much to celebrate from what has been a very successful year,” O’Keefe said at the time.

In September 2018 NSW Police caught O’Keefe driving an unregistered vehicle in Vaucluse. He later pleaded guilty in court and was issued a 12-month conditional release order without recording a conviction.

O’Keefe got into an altercation with a photographer, then six months after checking himself into a Sydney rehab facility following his emotional and mental collapse, he revealed he wasn’t “treating myself terribly well”.

His wife kept him safe and well behaved and now he doesn’t have her or a job, he has nothing to live for.