Andrew O'Keefe guilty of domestic violence and drug possession
Former Seven Network presenter Andrew O’Keefe has been found guilty of kicking, pushing and spitting at a woman and of possessing 1.6 grams of mephedrone, or meow meow, at a Sydney hotel.
Another charge of resisting arrest was dismissed by magistrate Alison Viney on Wednesday morning at Downing Centre Local Court.
Andrew O’Keefe arrives at Downing Centre Court.Credit: Peter Rae
O’Keefe pleaded not guilty to common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against a woman in September 2021. Days later, he was charged with resisting arrest and possessing an illicit drug.
The 52-year-old admitted to breaching an apprehended violence order and a separate drug possession charge, relating to cannabis, but fought the other charges at a hearing in February and November last year.
On Wednesday, Viney found O’Keefe had kicked, pushed and spat at a woman in a unit in Sydney’s east in September 2021.
She also found him guilty of possessing a prohibited drug after police discovered 1.6 grams of the amphetamine mephedrone in a locked box inside the Sydney hotel he was staying in.
“These domestic violence matters … are serious,” Magistrate Viney said, sentencing O’Keefe to an 18-month community corrections order, a $300 fine for cannabis possession, and a $500 fine for possessing mephedrone.
“Mr O’Keefe, you treated [the victim], who continued to support you, with disrespect. Your actions were violent and degrading.
“Your actions are absolutely condemned.”
Outside court, the former Deal or No Deal host thanked the magistrate for her “close consideration”, saying he would be lodging an appeal and denied that he was an angry man.
During last year’s hearing, a neighbour told the court the woman was “shaking like a leaf”, with scratches on her arms and marks across her chest, alleging O’Keefe had kicked her and spat on her.
In the witness box, O’Keefe denied the acts, claiming the woman’s wrist injuries were self-inflicted.
He dismissed the prosecutor’s suggestions he pushed the woman on the ground, dug his nails into her chest and neck, raised his hand threatening to hit her, or “said good riddance and spat at her”.
“None of this happened,” O’Keefe told the court.
In police bodycam of his arrest at his CBD apartment on September 10, 2021, O’Keefe told officers he needed to take his medication with him and asked “Why are you being such f---ing Nazis about it?”
In response to “we’ll get it, just calm down”, he said, “you don’t even know where it is, you idiot”.
He was then taken into the corridor and handcuffed. O’Keefe told police he was not resisting and to “stop pushing my head against the wall”.
Outside the building, one officer said, “we’re just doing our job, mate”, and O’Keefe replied, “OK, but you’re doing it in a rough and f---ing unnecessary fashion. This is a f---ing outrage”.
Regarding the bag of the “meow meow” drug, his friend Daniel Moscari gave evidence that it was his. He said he bought it from Kings Cross mixed with instant coffee for a pre-Christmas party at O’Keefe’s home, and had left it on the kitchen bench, but could not find it again.
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