Andrew O’Keefe: Neighbour tells court alleged victim had ‘marks across chest’

The neighbour of a woman who was allegedly assaulted by Andrew O’Keefe has given evidence in the trial of the embattled TV star.

Nicole Taylor was inside her apartment in an affluent Sydney suburb when she allegedly heard a recognisable voice singing in the apartment below her.

She has told a court it was the voice of embattled former TV star, Andrew O’Keefe, and that it quickly turned to arguing which became so loud she feared for the safety of the woman who lived in the unit.

Giving evidence in the domestic violence hearing against 51-year-old O’Keefe, Ms Taylor said she rushed down to check on her neighbour and saw O’Keefe standing at the apartment doorway.

After asking if he was OK, she said O’Keefe didn’t answer her and “aggressively” closed the door.

But the raised voices continued, she told Downing Centre Local Court, causing Ms Taylor to write her number on a piece of paper and slip it under her neighbour’s door.

O’Keefe suffered a wardrobe mishap as he arrived at court on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brendan Read

She described to the court the first thing she allegedly saw when the neighbour pulled her inside:

“I saw her chest and she was really shaken … She was in a lot of shock and fear … She was shaking like a leaf — she had scratches to her arm … marks across her chest”.

When asked if she had any interactions with O’Keefe prior to this day, she said she had not and that she “avoided him”.

O’Keefe has pleaded not guilty to common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and contravening an AVO, which police allege he committed on September 8, 2021.

The former Deal or No Deal and Weekend Sunrise Host also pleaded not guilty to resisting arrest.

The court earlier heard he is alleged to have spat on, hit, and kicked a woman.

The Former TV host is fighting a raft of DV charge. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard

During the second day of the hearing, Ms Taylor became emotional as she gave evidence, telling the court her neighbour was “at one point limping”.

When asking why she was walking like that, the neighbour allegedly said O’Keefe had kicked her.

O’Keefe’s defence lawyer, Richard Pontello, asked Ms Taylor how good her memory was in terms of the scratches she saw on the woman’s arms and chests, to which she said she was sure there were numerous.

She told the court O’Keefe returned several times to the apartment and at one point she walked him out.

Mr Pontello suggested the time between O’Keefe’s visits were longer than she said and asked her if she saw him in the company of an ambulance.

She responded she did not but that she “knew they were in attendance”.

O’Keefe was pictured with an awkward wardrobe malfunction as he walked into the courthouse on Tuesday, as the fly to his pants was unzipped.

The hearing has been held Monday and Tuesday. Picture:NCA NewsWire/Brendan Read

That followed tense court scenes on Monday, when O’Keefe scoffed at a police officer as she gave evidence.

Earlier in court, three videos from police body worn cameras were aired. The first was the alleged victim crying to Constable Elissa Major after the alleged assault as she was asked about marks on her arm.

Another showed O’Keefe telling Ms Major the alleged victim was “known for making outrageous claims” and those against him were false.

And a third showed O’Keefe talking to Ms Major about chest pain as he held an arm to his chest.

Mr Pontello suggested O’Keefe had told Ms Major the alleged victim’s injuries to her wrist were self-inflicted.

On Monday, O’Keefe had separate charges of assaulting a 38-year-old sex worker dropped after the court heard she had returned to her home country.

It was previously alleged O’Keefe and the sex worker started arguing after O’Keefe called in a debt for $20,000 and the woman asked for more money to further a business plan.

His legal team had 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 withdrew those charges.

On Monday afternoon, O’Keefe said outside court that he was “relieved but not surprised” the charges relating to the sex worker were dropped.

The hearing continues.