Troubled former gameshow host Andrew O’Keefe has flown back to Australia after a stint in drug rehab to deal with the last of his seemingly endless string of court cases.

O’Keefe faced Sydney’s Waverley Local Court on Friday to plead guilty to driving with meth in his system more than six months ago, but escaped with a $440 fine.

The 53-year-old appeared relaxed and refreshed after three months overseas in rehab and chatted happily with lawyers and police while waiting to have his matter heard.

O’Keefe’s solicitor Jahan Kalantar told the court his client accepted he had a poor traffic record and had spent a substantial period of time struggling with his illicit drug abuse. 

Mr Kalantar said O’Keefe had taken serious steps to address his drug problems and produced evidence he had spent three months as an in-patient at a rehab facility.

O’Keefe had returned to Sydney from overseas specifically to deal with his only outstanding court case, Mr Kalantar said. 

The former Deal or No Deal presenter tested positive to methylamphetamine while driving his Mercedes C200 in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on July 28 last year.

He was pulled over for random testing on Cranbrook Road in Rose Bay about 11.30am that day and recorded a positive result but was not charged until late November.

Troubled gameshow host Andrew O’Keefe has flown back to Australia after a stint in drug rehab to deal with the last of his seemingly endless string of court cases

O'Keefe faced Sydney's Waverley Local Court on Friday to plead guilty to driving with meth in his system more than six months ago, but escaped with a $440 fine. Above with lawyer Jahan Kalantar

 O’Keefe faced Sydney’s Waverley Local Court on Friday to plead guilty to driving with meth in his system more than six months ago, but escaped with a $440 fine. Above with lawyer Jahan Kalantar

The gap in time between the offence and O’Keefe being charged was due to crime lab delays.

The court heard O’Keefe had been the subject of a conditional release order for a previous drug-driving offence when he tested positive again.

Magistrate Michael Barko read a letter of apology O’Keefe wrote to the court, which he accepted as being ‘sincere and genuine’.

Mr Barko also noted O’Keefe was engaged in ongoing rehabilitation and took no action over the conditional release order breach.

O’Keefe was convicted and fined $440 for drug-driving and disqualified from getting behind the wheel for six months. 

Shortly before O’Keefe was pulled over on July 28, he had confronted a man at a Point Piper property he was banned from attending.

Following inquiries, O’Keefe was charged with contravening an apprehended violence order and stalk/intimidate with intent to cause for fear.

He was released on bail after appearing in Waverley Local Court but was arrested again at Rose Bay police station in September when police found meth in his car during a search.

O'Keefe allegedly tested positive to meth while driving in Sydney's eastern suburbs six months ago but he was not charged until late November. He is seen during a previous arrest

O’Keefe allegedly tested positive to meth while driving in Sydney’s eastern suburbs six months ago but he was not charged until late November. He is seen during a previous arrest

The former Deal or No Deal and The Chase Australia host has waged a public battle against drug addiction and been in and out of rehabilitation centres for the past few years

The former Deal or No Deal and The Chase Australia host has waged a public battle against drug addiction and been in and out of rehabilitation centres for the past few years

Two days earlier, O’Keefe had overdosed on heroin at a party and needed to be revived by paramedics.

O’Keefe pleaded guilty in October to trespassing, breaching an an apprehended violence order and possessing crystal methamphetamine in relation to the events of July 28. 

Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge fined O’Keefe $500 for trespassing and $1,000 for possessing a prohibited drug.

For breaching the AVO, Ms Milledge sentenced O’Keefe to a 30-month community corrections order which required him to attend rehab.   

At the same time, he was fined $2,000 for driving with an illicit drug in his system at Darlinghurst in April and disqualified from getting behind the wheel for three months.

On that occasion, Ms Jacqueline Milledge assured the TV star he was looking at time behind bars if he continued to break the law.

‘You have been given lots of opportunities to do something about your use of drugs,’ Ms Milledge told O’Keefe.

‘I can assure you the next step is jail. I’m not just saying that, I absolutely mean it. It’s got to the state where the court would believe you just can’t be rehabilitated.’

Off-the-rails game show host Andrew O'Keefe was arrested on the drug driving charge, three months after being warned he was one false step away from jail

Off-the-rails game show host Andrew O’Keefe was arrested on the drug driving charge, three months after being warned he was one false step away from jail

Ms Milledge told  O’Keefe that his life had ‘just completely gone off the rails’ and it was his responsibility to fix it.

‘I know domestic violence is a factor in your offending and that is awful, truly awful,’ she said.

‘You got into the grip of something awful and the wheels fell off.’

The magistrate said she remembered telling O’Keefe ‘God help you’ during a previous court appearance.

‘I am personally disappointed that you’re where you are and you haven’t managed to get yourself back on your feet,’ she said.

‘I just wish you’d get yourself back to a position where you can do something for the community again.’

At the time, O’Keefe’s lawyer told Ms Milledge: ‘This, Your Honour, is what we say is the final crossroads.’

O’Keefe has waged a public battle against drug addiction and been in and out of rehabilitation centres for the past few years.

O'Keefe was found guilty in January last year of domestic violence and drug offences after a 'degrading' attack on a woman who cannot be identified

O’Keefe was found guilty in January last year of domestic violence and drug offences after a ‘degrading’ attack on a woman who cannot be identified

He was found guilty in January last year of domestic violence and drug offences after a ‘degrading’ attack on a woman who cannot be identified.

The drug conviction was later quashed but O’Keefe lost an appeal against the assault convictions in August. 

In December 2023 he escaped conviction after pleading guilty in Downing Centre Local Court to driving through Point Piper with drugs in his system earlier that year.

O’Keefe had been pulled over while in charge of his Mercedes C200 sedan in January and returned a positive test to methamphetamine.

A second oral fluid sample provided at Waverley police station tested negative but was later deemed positive after further analysis. 

During the 2023 sentencing, magistrate Miranda Moody said O’Keefe had since returned negative screenings for drugs and was being treated by a psychiatrist and psychologist.

‘To his credit, he’s clearly had some issues with illicit drug use and I’ve been provided material to his use of drugs or lack thereof,’ Ms Moody said at the time.

‘There have been none detected for some time. I’ve also been provided a report by a psychologist and a psychiatrist. He’s engaged in treatment.

‘Given the enormous amount of work Mr O’Keefe is doing in relation to his drug and health issues I’m prepared to not record a conviction.’

Ms Moody sentenced O’Keefe to a 12-month community release order. 

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