At 9.30am on Wednesday morning, courtroom 5.2 at the Downing Centre in Sydney was a hive of activity.
Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson quickly worked through her long list, marking dates for future hearings, booking interpreters and setting bail conditions — the tedious details that keep the criminal justice system moving.
Amid the two dozen assembled lawyers, police officers, family members and court staff sat the troubled former TV star Andrew O’Keefe – his second court appearance in as many days.
At the time it was the former presenter of Deal or No Deal’s only scheduled court appearance that day – before it was disrupted by another arrest.
O’Keefe, 52, has been the center of attention, the star of the show, for most of his life.
But in Courtroom 5.2, his stardust had faded to a dull gray, as had the thinning hair around his temples.
His presence elicited no whispered glances or knowing looks. There was no media pack eager to transcribe every cough and spit.
Andrew O’Keefe (pictured), 52, appeared in court on Wednesday morning where he admitted his string of drug-related and domestic violence offences were a ‘tangle of offences’
After all, it’s been almost five years since the former Seven star last appeared on the small screen.
In the meantime, there has been a seemingly endless and increasingly sad series of arrests and trials.
O’Keefe is currently appealing his January conviction for drug-related and domestic violence offenses.
Although his old charm was still evident in the smile he flashed to court staff, O’Keefe was visibly nervous as he waited patiently for four other cases to be heard before him.
He alternated between drumming his left leg up and down, straightening his dark green tie, taking sips of water from a bottle and clearing his throat repeatedly.
The Member of the Order of Australia fanned himself with a stack of court documents and tapped away at his laptop as his brother walked up behind him to offer encouragement.
Shortly before 10:00 a.m. his case was reported.
O’Keefe, a lawyer by training, was defending himself against charges that he violated a protective order against violence issued on behalf of his former partner.
According to police, he violated the ban when he put his foot in the door of the woman’s home in late July and then allegedly intimidated a man there.
The father of three was also concerned about a clash of dates for two upcoming court hearings, such is his familiarity with Sydney’s busiest courthouse.
O’Keefe told the court there was “a shift in what the other side would argue,” which meant he would make a plea in court next week.
“It’s a mess, your honour,” he admitted to Magistrate Atkinson.
He appeared to shake his head angrily when she told him that both cases could be postponed until August 14.
Happier times: Andrew O’Keefe pictured at Tamarama Beach in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs in 2008
“We are professional decision makers, we have to use our judgement and resolve cases,” Magistrate Atkinson assured him at the end of the four-minute hearing.
O’Keefe was cheerful and joked with reporters as he left the courtroom at 10:04 a.m.
When asked if he thinks he will ever appear on television again, he replies, “I don’t think so, no.”
He admitted to having addiction problems in the past, but claimed he is now over it.
“I’m fine now,” he insisted, as he walked out into the late winter sun.
But at 1pm, less than two hours later, he was arrested again at his home in Vaucluse, accused of breaching the terms of his bail.
It appears he has contacted the alleged victim of harassment.
“He has been taken to Waverley Police Station and will appear in Waverley Magistrates Court to have his bail reassessed,” a New South Wales Police spokesperson said.
O’Keefe was re-granted bail on condition that he report to Rose Bay police station three times a week, refrain from drinking alcohol or taking drugs, and avoid entering Point Piper.
Following the incident in July, O’Keefe was released on bail after being charged with harassment and breaching an assault order.
That day, Sunday, July 28, police officers were stopped O’Keefe on Cranbrook Road in Sydneythe affluent suburb of Bellevue Hill at 11.45 am after reportedly being “under the influence of drugs” behind the wheel of a Mercedes sedan.
It is alleged that earlier that day he intimidated a man at his former partner’s home.
O’Keefe tested positive on the side of the road and officers discovered an ice tube in his jacket pocket.
O’Keefe denied it was his property, and Daily Mail Australia does not suggest otherwise.
For now, it’s just one more lawsuit he can add to his seemingly ever-growing list.
On Tuesday, after winning a narrow victory by avoiding a conviction for driving without a license, O’Keefe even joked on the courthouse steps that he “couldn’t stay away from court.”
But the troubled star appeared somber and dejected later on Tuesday afternoon as he was photographed slumped on a stone bench in a Paddington park in the city’s exclusive eastern suburbs.
Perhaps he was thinking about the magistrate’s comments.
There are many who believe O’Keefe has been treated leniently by the courts. But there are also many who would like to see him returned to his former glory (pictured with his ex-wife at the 2009 Logie Awards)
“The sad reality is that you are no stranger here, if only for the most serious offences,” Judge Michael Allen had told him.
That became clear last night when Channel Nine released disturbing footage of O’Keefe shouting at police officers after he was arrested for a “violent and degrading” attack in September 2021.
“This is a simple request. Why are you so f**king Nazis?” he is heard saying while handcuffed.
“Why should I calm down when you do this to me?”
There are many people who believe the court was lenient with O’Keefe.
But there are also a huge number of people who would like to see it return to its former glory. After all, everyone loves a redemption story.
A Daily Mail Australia reader said they ‘had the pleasure of meeting AOK a few years ago and he was a true gentleman and down to earth man’.
“I wish him the best on his road to recovery and self-discovery. Do it for your children, Andrew,” they responded.
Another added: ‘I applaud the redemption story. Come on Andrew, get it right mate.’