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Mystery man accused of leaving Andrew O’Keefe’s home with methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD and GHB is identified as the embattled TV star faces jail time for allegedly failing a drug test.
- Andrew O’Keefe faced court on November 24 after allegedly failing a drug test
- Charged after police allegedly caught a man leaving O’Keefe’s home with drugs
- The lawyer argued that the test could have been contaminated due to a friend at home.
- Mitchell Sturt, 51, was allegedly in possession of ice, cocaine, LSD and GHB
- Sturt has been charged with five crimes and will face court in the new year.
The mystery man allegedly caught leaving Andrew O’Keefe’s home with a stash of illicit substances shortly before the disgraced former TV star allegedly failed a drug test has been unmasked.
Police will allege that Mitchell Sturt, 51, was in possession of ice, cocaine, LSD and GHB when officers apprehended him moments after leaving O’Keefe’s Vaucluse home in eastern Sydney on November 24.
Police had been monitoring O’Keefe’s home as part of his bail conditions regarding a separate, unrelated matter.
O’Keefe was later charged with violating his bail conditions after he allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine.
The former Deal or No Deal presenter faced Waverley Local Court later that afternoon, where he was granted bail after his lawyer argued that O’Keefe’s drug sample may have been contaminated.
Mitchell Sturt (pictured) was charged with a series of crimes after he was allegedly found in possession of illicit drugs when officers pulled him over moments after leaving Andrew O’Keefe’s home on November 24.
Andrew O’Keefe recently faced off at Waverley Local Court after he was charged with breaching his bail conditions when he allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine.
Sturt, a cricket fan from Abbotsford in Sydney’s inner-west, was charged with five offences, including possession of drugs, The daily telegraph informed.
He was released on bail to face court on January 11.
He has since deleted his Facebook page with bizarre selfies and photos of himself playing cricket.
O’Keefe’s lawyer, Sebastian De Brennan, argued in court that his client’s drug test could have been contaminated due to his friend’s presence in the house.
The lawyer added that the test was not “infallible”.
‘A man is seen leaving the defendant’s residence and was…found with a quantity of prohibited drugs. His lordship could infer that someone entered the house and had drugs on his person,” De Brennan told the court.
He added that O’Keefe had been abstinent from drugs since leaving a rehab center three weeks ago, where he received a glowing report: his 10th stint in rehab.
“She has tried to get back on track, her partner has allowed her to rekindle her relationship with her children,” De Brennan told the court.
“He is a man who is determined not just to rehabilitate but to reintegrate.”
Cricket fan Mitchell Sturt (pictured) from Sydney’s inner-west is set to face court next month
Andrew O’Keefe was one of Channel Seven’s biggest stars before he was dropped by the network in 2021. He is pictured as the presenter of Deal or No Deal.
Outside court on November 24, O’Keefe told reporters: ‘That’s what we found out in court today. There was a high probability of contamination (of the sample).’
He spoke to the media moments after being released on bail with strict conditions, including that he submit to a weekly drug test and continue to attend Narcotics Anonymous.
“He can’t afford another coup like this,” Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge warned him.
O’Keefe will face court on December 14. The former White Ribbon ambassador was charged with allegedly beating, choking and assaulting a woman in January.
As part of his bail conditions, O’Keefe must also behave well, remain at his Vaucluse address and attend weekly appointments with his psychiatrist and psychologist.
You cannot leave NSW or go near an airport and you can only take medicines prescribed by your doctor.
O’Keefe should also stay away from alcohol and drugs and not enter any premises where alcohol is sold.
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Andrew O’Keefe was the presenter of The Chase Australia when Channel Seven left him.