Footage of the moment former Cronulla Sharks chairman Damian Keogh (pictured) is arrested for cocaine possession will air on television on Tuesday night
Footage of the moment Australian basketball champion and former Cronulla Sharks chairman Damian Keogh is arrested for cocaine possession has been released.
Keogh was arrested at a licensed premises in Wooloomooloo in early May this year with two bags of cocaine in his possession after he was sniffed out by drug dogs.
Police commentary of the situation and a tense conversation between officers and the former sports star will be aired on ABC’s Keeping Australia Safe on Tuesday night.
A camera crew for the show was following the NSW Police Detection Dog Unit around Wooloomooloo on the night Keogh was arrested.
In the episode, which will air on Tuesday night, the moments that led to the downfall of the high-profile businessman and sports star are revealed for the first time.
Keogh was caught after he went to the bathroom at the Bells Hotel in Wooloomooloo after he spotted a drug dog enter the premises in May this year. Officers followed him in and found two bags of cocaine in his possession (pictured right)
A police officer is seen explaining to the camera that Keogh tried to get away from the situation the moment he saw the drug dog enter the pub which aroused suspicion.
‘There’s a male over there, who, as we walked in with the police dog, he’s made a run for the toilets,’ the officer explained.
‘So we’ve chased him in there, and he’s been found to have two bags of cocaine.’
Keogh had enjoyed a long lunch with acquaintances at Kingsleys Australian Steakhouse – a hotspot for Sydney’s rich and famous – on the day he came undone.
He then decided to continue drinking into the evening at nearby Tilbury Hotel, and later the Bells Hotel, where he was ultimately arrested.
The 55-year-old was then arrested (left), but appeared agitated by the presence of cameras. An officer moved to speak with the ABC camera crew, who revealed Keogh’s high profile
In the clip, Keogh appeared distressed by the presence of the cameras after his arrest, and was seen trying to move away as a police officer attempted to calm him.
The officer taking charge of the arrest was seemingly unaware of his high profile until he walked away to speak with the camera crew.
The crew explained the man police were about to take into custody was a former Australian Olympic basketballer and held board positions at the Cronulla Sharks NRL team and Hoyts cinemas.
Keogh pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine in Downing Centre Local Court, tarnishing his reputation permanently.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Jane Mottley decided not to record a conviction, and it is understood the man retained his high-level position at Hoyts, but the Sydney man stood down from his role at the Sharks in shame.
As a result of his arrest and guilty plea, Keogh, a father-of-four, was forced to stand down from his position as Chairman of the Cronulla Sharks NRL team (pictured with Treasurer and local MP Scott Morrison (left) and Sharks ground announced Glenn Wheeler (centre) at Shark Park)
Soon after his arrest, Keogh fronted cameras to clarify his arrest was the result of a foolish choice, not an enduring problem with illicit substances.
No I don’t have a drug problem, people who know me know this isn’t me. It’s not what I’m about,’ he told Channel Nine.
‘I’m very fortunate to have great family who are very supportive. They know who I am and what I stand for. We’ll work our way through this.
‘It’s obviously been a very distressing time personally for my family. I’ve just been bunkering down and trying to register things.’
Keeping Australia Safe will air on Tuesday December 12 at 8.30pm on ABC and ABC iView.