Andrew O’Keefe violence allegations ‘an escalation’

A woman allegedly choked at the hands of an ex-game show host had to bite him to break free, a court has heard.

It’s 2008 on Chapel St in South Yarra and Andrew O’Keefe is smashed.

The Channel 7 game show host falls in the middle of the road, taking a blonde woman down with him. She says, playfully, “Kill me. Kill me, Andrew O’Keefe” as they roll on the road together.

It was all caught on someone’s phone and leaked to the Herald Sun.

On Friday, O’Keefe was denied bail at Sydney Central Local Court after being 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.

NSW Police alleges the former White Ribbon ambassador grabbed a 38-year-old woman by the throat, punched and kicked her after the pair had a verbal dispute at a serviced apartment on Kent St in Sydney’s CBD on Tuesday afternoon.

Sharon Ramsden, representing O’Keefe, said he was acting in self-defence and the woman came to his home uninvited.

“Clearly, he is raising self-defence in respect to these allegations,” Ms Ramsden said. “Two of the charges describe quite significant alleged choking or pressure to the throat. The photographic evidence doesn’t support that.”

It‘s understood O’Keefe is living in a secured Meriton suite apartment.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Chris Manning says photos taken of the woman after the alleged attack showed “significant marks to the face and legs”, and text messages between her and the former White Ribbon ambassador supported her version of events.

O’Keefe suffers depressive disorder, complex post-traumatic stress disorder and methamphetamine use disorder and the historical addiction issues, according to an expert report tendered to the court. The former host of The Chase and Deal or No Deal was seeking to be released to a rehabilitation facility.

Sergeant Manning said O’Keefe had domestic violence charges laid against him dismissed on mental health grounds in Waverley Local Court last year.

“Since then there’s been two more offences of violence,” Sergeant Manning told the court.

“We have three offences of violence all in a short series of time.

“The accused behaviour’s is escalating.”

O’Keefe, appearing via video link from Surry Hills police station, muttered “Oh god, this is ridiculous”. When bail was denied he took his glasses off and said “unbelievable”.

After O’Keefe was charged on Thursday, he was transported from a police station on Day Street in Sydney’s CBD to Sydney Police Centre screaming and banging inside a paddy wagon.

“F..k off, get rid of these f..king journalists, you douchebags,” he yelled. “F..k you, I’m a victim of crime. I’m a victim of crime, you f..kwits.”

White Ribbon, an anti-domestic violence organisation, went into liquidation in 2019 and O’Keefe has had no role with it after it relaunched in 2020.

O’Keefe was awarded an Order of Australia medal in 2017 for “significant service to the broadcast media as a television presenter, and to social welfare and charitable organisations”.

Back on Chapel St, footage shows that when friends get tired of watching a drunken O’Keefe and wander down the street, he gets on all fours as a woman pleads with him to go home.

He does. He walks up to a blue car and gets in.

Someone slurs “Don’t get a lift in a random car” before screaming “what the f..k” as the car drives off.

The case is due to return to court on February 4.

Additional reporting: NCA Newswire