Former Australian television game show host Andrew O’Keefe has pleaded guilty to drug possession and been hit with a fresh charge of breaching an apprehended violence order.
The 50-year-old made a brief appearance in Central Local Court on Friday via audiovisual link from an isolation cell at Sydney’s Silverwater Prison, where he is on remand after being bail refused following his alleged attack on a woman in at a CBD apartment on January 25.
Police have charged the former host of , and with two counts of intentionally choking without consent, three counts of common assault and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
O’Keefe was also last week hit with a further charge of possess prohibited drug after police found him with 1.5 grams of cannabis.
In court, defence barrister Arjun Chhabra said O’Keefe had entered a plea of guilty to the drug charge but was expected to plead not guilty to all other charges.
Mr Chhabra also revealed police had hit O’Keefe with another new charge for the alleged breach of an AVO.
According to police, the January 25 incident allegedly involved O’Keefe punching and kicking the woman who was forced to bite him in order to escape.
The court was previously told that O’Keefe claimed he was acting in self-defence and sustained injuries during the incident, which came about after a verbal altercation.
O’Keefe’s alleged victim cannot be identified due to court orders protecting her privacy; however, The Daily Telegraph has reported she claimed to have been visiting O’Keefe to discuss opening xjmtzywa flower business.
The alleged attack on the woman is the latest in a string of scandals that has destroyed O’Keefe’s career and 17-year association with Channel 7.
In 2008 while serving as a face for anti-violence against women charity White Ribbon, O’Keefe was filmed collapsing in a gutter outside a Melbourne nightclub.
For his services to the television industry and charities he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2017, but later that year he separated from his wife of 18 years.
Following his most recent arrest on January 27, O’Keefe was filmed screaming and banging around in the back of a police van.
“F**k you, I’m a victim of crime,” he yelled from inside.
“I’m a victim of crime you f**kwits.”
During his latest court appearance, O’Keefe appeared more subdued, quietly saying “thank you” to magistrate Alison Viney as she explained where his case was up to.
O’Keefe’s case returns to the Local Court on February 25.
He is expected to make a fresh bid for bail in the Supreme Court on mental health grounds and is listed to appear in a bail call-over list on Monday in front of a registrar.
