Embattled former television presenter Andrew O’Keefe will return to court where he is fighting allegations he spat in the face of a woman before kicking her.
It is claimed her left her with scratches all over her arms and chest.
The 51-year-old is facing the second part of his hearing in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court over charges of common assault, contravening an AVO, resisting a police officer and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
O’Keefe has already faced two days of hearing in February over the matters, which relate to an incident in September 2021 at a Sydney apartment.
He is due to return to court on Wednesday, where the defence case will begin.
Embattled former television presenter Andrew O’Keefe will return to court where he is fighting allegations he spat in the face of a woman before kicking her. Pictured
Earlier this year, neighbour Nicole Taylor told the court that on the night of the alleged incident she could hear O’Keefe singing in the apartment below hers before it turned into a ‘scuffle’.
‘There was loud noises and yelling… the level of noise where you realise something was wrong,’ Ms Taylor said.
Ms Taylor told the court she could tell O’Keefe was ‘aggressive and angry’ while the alleged victim was attempting to ‘calm him down’.
She went downstairs to make sure the woman who owned the apartment was all right and noticed ‘scratches’ all over her chest, the court heard.
‘It was the first thing I saw, she was really shaken… her voice, her body, she was in a lot of shock and fear at that stage,’ Ms Taylor said.
‘She had scratches up her arms and marks on her chest… she was limping and I asked her what had happened.’
The court was told the alleged victim had told her neighbour she had been kicked and spat on by O’Keefe.
O’Keefe later returned to the apartment but Ms Taylor walked him out of the complex and asked if he was all right.
She told the court O’Keefe said: ‘What do you think?’
‘He was flustered and he was angry… his hand gestures and his body language (showed he was agitated),’ she told the court.
The 51-year-old is facing the second part of his hearing in Sydney ‘s Downing Centre Local Court over charges of common assault, contravening an AVO, resisting a police officer and assault occasioning actual bodily harm
‘It was someone who was not happy about a situation.’
The court was also shown footage showing O’Keefe sprawled out on the front steps of the apartment complex, complaining of chest pain.
Footage also showed police finding the complainant, who is seen crying and holding her wrist which is covered in scratches.
When police approach O’Keefe in the footage to ask questions, he is 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.
O’Keefe has already faced two days of hearing in February over the matters, which relate to an incident in September 2021 at a Sydney apartment
On the first day of the hearing, police prosecutor Michael Cleaver withdrew six charges relating to another complainant: 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 before he was released on bail.
The former TV star has faced a different kind of spotlight since the assault allegations came to light, following a long career with Channel 7.
In 2017, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his charity work and accomplishments in television.
The hearing will continue before Magistrate Alison Viney on Wednesday.
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