Andrew O’Keefe barges into a cameraman on his way to court
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Fallen TV star Andrew O’Keefe stormed right into a TV news cameraman before entering court to face assault charges.
The stone-faced OKeefe, 51, bumped into the Channel Nine cameraman outside Downing Center local court on Tuesday morning, where he faces charges of common assault, breaching an AVO, resisting a police officer and assault causing actual bodily harm related to an incident in 2021.
“Excuse me,” O’Keefe said after the collision.
Then he turns around and says, ‘Watch out.
Andrew O’Keefe barged in on a cameraman working for Channel Nine as he entered court to face assault and resist police charges.
The cameraman was not reported as injured.
The former TV presenter, facing a second day of hearings, appeared polished in a stone-colored linen suit and a brightly striped tie, except that he had forgotten to zip up his fly.
At its morning session, the court was closed to allow the complainant to testify.
Footage was played in court of a woman who was allegedly spat at, kicked and punched by O’Keefe on September 8, 2021.
‘I see you have things on your arm there, did he do that?’ Assistant Agent Elissa Major asked the woman.
The former Deal or No Deal star arrived at Downing Center Local Court in Sydney on Tuesday and quickly made her way through the waiting media.
“Yes,” the woman in the images responds through tears.
Nicole Taylor, who lived next door to the Sydney eastern suburbs property where the alleged incident occurred, told the court on the night in question that she heard O’Keefe sing and then “aggressive and angry yelling”.
Ms Taylor later said the woman was “shaking like a leaf”.
“He had scratches on his arm, he had marks on his chest…he was limping,” Ms Taylor told the court.
Ms. Taylor testified that the woman told her that O’Keefe had kicked her and that he had spit in her face.
Neighbor Nicole Taylor told the court that the alleged victim said O’Keefe kicked her and spit in her face.
He also said that O’Keefe seemed agitated.
“I was nervous and angry,” Taylor said.
Two clips of O’Keefe in court were also played, one later in the evening at St Vincent’s Hospital where he tells officers that the woman “has a history of making outrageous claims.”
The other play before Magistrate Alison Viney on Monday showed O’Keefe lying on the front steps of his apartment complex complaining of chest pain.
In the video, O’Keefe is heard moaning and complaining about having some ‘chest’.
“I’m not sure (what it is)…I’ve never felt it before,” he told police.
O’Keefe was once one of the brightest stars on the Seven Network, but was dropped from their roster after his legal troubles arose.
Footage showed police finding the complainant crying and holding her wrist, which was covered in scratches.
When police approached O’Keefe in the footage to ask questions, he was seen closing them.
“I will not comment without the presence of a lawyer … they are making claims against me that are false,” he told agent Elissa Major.
O’Keefe’s defense attorney, Richard Pontello SC, asked the older officer about a conversation in which the former TV star said the plaintiff allegedly “inflicted the abrasion on herself”.
“Did he say, ‘I’m sure it was unintentional and was an unconscious or distracted physical reaction to stress,'” Mr. Pontello asked.
The older agent replied: ‘Those words were not spoken.’
O’Keefe sneered and shook his head.
On Monday afternoon, O’Keefe told reporters he was “relieved” after a series of charges related to another case and a whistleblower were dropped.
“I’m not surprised, but rather relieved that the charges have been dropped,” he said, waving a “peace sign” to the cameras, also known as the “v for victory” symbol.
Police prosecutor Michael Cleaver on Monday dropped six counts related to the incident, including two counts of intentionally strangling a person without consent, three counts of common assault and one count of assault causing actual bodily harm.
O’Keefe pleaded guilty to one count of violating an apprehended violence warrant.
He spent almost five months in pretrial custody after being accused of the crimes and He was granted a hard bond by the NSW High Court in May 2022 to reside in a long-term residential halfway house in Port Stephens.
The former host of the popular game show The Chase Australia was initially charged by police with grabbing a 38-year-old woman by the throat on January 25 last year.
The former TV star has faced a different kind of attention since the assault allegations came to light, after a long career on Channel 7.
O’Keefe appeared as the face of many of the station’s shows, from Deal or No Deal to Weekend Sunrise.
She served on the National Council for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and founded the well-known organization White Ribbon Australia dedicated to the cause.
In 2017, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his charity work and television achievements.
After the day’s hearing, O’Keefe briefly responded to questions from the media.
“Everything has gone very well so far,” he said.
‘But I’ll give a statement when it’s all over, thank you.’
The hearing continues before Judge Viney.