Troubled ex-television star Andrew O’Keefe could spend up to 12 months remanded in custody after his latest bid for bail was rejected, the NSW Supreme Court has heard.
Justice Robertson Wright denied O’Keefe’s latest attempt to be released to a mental health rehabilitation facility on Tuesday, despite the court being told the former Channel 7 game show host was bullied by jail guards and placed in a cell surrounded by rival bikie gang members.
The 50-year-old has been locked up on remand for more than a month, after he was charged with choking and assaulting a woman on January 25.
Police allege O’Keefe grabbed a 38-year-old woman by the throat before he pushed her to the ground and punched her.
The Daily Telegraph has reported the pair previously met when the woman was a sex worker and the court heard that according to the Crown prosecutor, O’Keefe had used her for sex services before the pair developed a friendship.
O’Keefe claims he acted in self-defence and the court was told he and the woman started arguing after he called in a debt for $20,000 and she asked for more money to further a flower business she wanted to start.
Defence barrister Arjun Chhabra said O’Keefe claimed the woman grabbed a cricket bat and scissors before she started to attack him and he was forxjmtzywced to defend himself in an attempt to “distract and disarm” her.
“There is a real chance of acquittal,” Mr Chhabra told the court.
“In the event of conviction … full-time imprisonment is not inevitable.
“She also has motivations to lie. By going to the police and making a complaint she potentially relieves herself of a $20,000 debt that he has called in.”
O’Keefe is expected to plead not guilty to four assault charges and two counts of intentionally choking without consent.
After police found 1.5g of marijuana in O’Keefe’s apartment during his arrest, he pleaded guilty to a drug possession charge.
He’s also facing separate apprehended violence breach charges which relate to a woman who can’t be named for legal reasons and an incident in 2021.
Since O’Keefe was remanded in custody, Mr Chabbra said he had been “surrounded” by warring bikie gang members, denied medication and bullied by Corrective Services officers.
O’Keefe had also suffered “reduced vision due to an altercation with Corrective Officers,” Mr Chabbra told the court.
In court the Crown prosecutor said O’Keefe had an “ongoing addiction to ice” and a proposed-three week stint in a mental health rehabilitation facility was not long enough.
“That addiction is relevant to all this offending,” the prosecutor said.
“He’s really unreliable … Mr O’Keefe has a lot of personal problems which he admits.”
According to the prosecutor, a health expert who assessed O’Keefe in custody said in a report that “he told me he had been taking cocaine but he replaced it with a regular dose of crystal methamphetamine”.
Justice Wright said a three week stint in rehab before being released back to the community did not seem “sufficient”.
“The problem is, a long standing substance abuse disorder like that, having moved from cocaine to ice is a very serious matter,” Justice Wright said.
“Were a longer proposal to be put forward, I think the case for release on bail would be significantly approved.”
Justice Wright said O’Keefe had reported cocaine use dating back 20 years.
“It appears that the applicant’s drug use, and particularly his use of crystal methamphetamine … has contributed to his offending,” he said.
O’Keefe was denied bail, with Justice Wright saying he expected O’Keefe would spend six to 12 months remanded in custody.
A permanent fixture on Australian television screens for 17 years, O’Keefe fronted top-rating programs like The Chase Australia, Deal or No Deal and Weekend Sunrise.
Channel 7 did not renew O’Keefes contract when it expired at the end of 2020 after he became involved in a series of scandals.
O’Keefe had previously been awarded an Order of Australia medal for his media and charity work.
He was a former face of White Ribbon but has no longer had a role with the anti-domestic violence organisation.
Mental health support
