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Embattled former television presenter Andrew O’Keefe has suffered an embarrassing wardrobe mishap as he strode into court on Tuesday.
The 51-year-old was set to face a second day’s hearings in the Downing Centre local court over charges of common assault, contravening an AVO, resisting a police officer and assault occasioning actual bodily harm related to an incident in 2021.
Dressed in a stone linen suit and bright striped tie, the former TV presenter appeared polished – except he’d forgotten to zip up his fly.
Former Deal or No Deal star Andrew O’Keefe arrived at Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Tuesday and confidently strode through waiting media
The hearing began its second day on Tuesday morning, but the court was closed to allow the complainant to give evidence.
The court was played footage of a woman who was allegedly spat on, kicked and hit by O’Keefe on September 8 2021.
‘I see you have stuff on your arm there – did he do that?’ attending Constable Elissa Major asked the woman.
‘Yep’ the woman replies in the footage through tears.
Two clips of O’Keefe were also played in court, one from later in the night at St Vincent’s Hospital where he tells officers the woman ‘has a history of making outrageous claims’.
The other played before Magistrate Alison Viney on Monday showed O’Keefe sprawled out on the front steps of his apartment complex complaining of chest pain.
In the video, O’Keefe is heard groaning and complaining of having something ‘chesty’.
‘I’m not sure (what it is) … I’ve never felt it before,’ he told police.
O’Keefe was once one of the Seven Network’s brightest stars but was dropped from their roster after his legal woes emerged
Footage showed police finding the complainant seen crying and holding her wrist, which was covered in scratches.
When police approached O’Keefe in the footage to ask questions, he was seen shutting them down.
‘I will not make any comments without a lawyer present … they are making claims against me which are false,’ he told Constable Elissa Major.
O’Keefe’s defence barrister, Richard Pontello SC, asked Constable Major about a conversation where the former TV star said the complainant allegedly ‘inflicted the abrasion on herself’.
‘Did he say, ‘I’m sure it was unintentional and was an unconscious or absent minded physical reaction to stress’,’ Mr Pontello asked.
Constable Major replied: ‘Those words were not said.’
O’Keefe scoffed and shook his head.
On Monday afternoon, O’Keefe told media he was ‘relieved’ after a raft of charges were dropped relating to another case and complainant.
‘I’m not surprised but relieved about the charges that have been dropped,’ he said, while throwing up a ‘peace sign’ at the cameras – otherwise known as ‘v for victory’ symbol.
Police prosecutor Michael Cleaver on Monday withdrew six charges relating to the incident, including two counts of intentionally choking a person without consent, three counts of common assault and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
O’Keefe pleaded guilty to one count of contravening an apprehended violence order.
He spent almost five months in custody on remand after he was charged with the offences and was granted strict bail by the NSW Supreme Court in May 2022 to reside at a long-term residential rehabilitation facility in Port Stephens.
The former host of the popular game show The Chase Australia was initially accused by police of grabbing a 38-year-old woman by the throat on January 25 last year
The former TV star has faced a different kind of spotlight since the assault allegations came to light, after a long career with Channel 7.
O’Keefe appeared as the face of many programs for the broadcaster, from Deal or No Deal to Weekend Sunrise.
He served on the National Council for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and founded the well-known White Ribbon Australia organisation dedicated to the cause.
In 2017, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his charity work and accomplishments in television.
The hearing continues before Magistrate Viney.
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