Published: | Updated:
Police are seeking to extend a restraining order taken out two years ago to protect a prominent Sydney woman from Andrew O'Keefe, according to the former television game show host.
uncertain
Police → publish → host
The apprehended domestic violence order imposed at Waverley Local Court in October 2024 expired earlier this month but is due to be mentioned on Wednesday before a judge in Downing Centre Local Court.
asserted
order → apprehend → Court
O'Keefe was unaware the ADVO was returning to court when first contacted by the Daily Mail and subsequently made his own inquiries with police and the Downing Centre registry.
asserted
ADVO → return → police
The onetime Deal or No Deal presenter said he had been told the woman allegedly still held fears for her safety and police had applied to extend the expired order for an extra 24 months.
uncertain
police → say → months
That was despite O'Keefe having not breached the ADVO since it was formally put in place or faced court for any type of offence since February 2025.
asserted
it → breach → February
Asked why police would attempt to continue to extend the order in those circumstances, O'Keefe told the Daily Mail, 'At this point, your guess is as good as mine.
asserted
guess → ask → mine
'I don't wish to preempt the court's thoughts on the matter,' he said.
'
asserted
he → wish → matter
But one thing is clear as a matter of simple fact: there has been no incident of any kind that has triggered this unusual application.
asserted
that → trigger → application
Police are seeking to extend a restraining order taken out two years ago to protect a prominent Sydney woman from Andrew O'Keefe, according to the former television game show host.
uncertain
Police → seek → host
O'Keefe is pictured outside court on October 15
O'Keefe (above) was unaware the ADVO was returning to court when contacted by the Daily Mail and subsequently made his own inquiries with police and the Downing Centre registry
O'Keefe was an intellectual property lawyer with Allens Arthur Robinson before turning his part-time gig as a comedian into a career in 2002 and taking his first job in television.
His late father Barry was a NSW Supreme Court judge and mayor of Mosman, on Sydney's lower north shore, while his uncle Johnny was Australia's first homegrown rock 'n' roll star.
The 55-year-old has previously been convicted of domestic violence, drug and driving offences, undergoing cycles of rehabilitation and spending short stints behind bars.
O'Keefe was first accused of assaulting the woman in January 2021 and faced court the following month when police took out an interim ADVO.
Waverley Local Court later heard the woman had accused him of having an ice pipe in his pocket at a birthday party in Surry Hills.
He had denied the allegation and the pair continued arguing at her eastern suburbs home, where he admitted spitting, slapping and kicking her.
asserted
he → picture → her
A charge of common assault and one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm were dismissed on mental health grounds that June.
asserted
charge → occasion → grounds
The court heard O'Keefe suffered from bipolar disorder and was in a 'hypomanic' state during the episode.
asserted
O'Keefe → hear → episode
Another common assault charge related to a separate incident at Kangaroo Valley was withdrawn.
asserted
charge → relate → Valley
The onetime Deal or No Deal presenter said he had been told the woman allegedly held fears for her safety and police had applied to extend the expired order for an extra 24 months
Three months later, in September 2021, O'Keefe was arrested again in relation to domestic-related incidents involving the same woman.
He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault, contravening a protection order and resisting a police officer executing their duty.
A non-publication order was put over the victim's name which still stands five years later.
uncertain
which → say → name
The Daily Mail has attempted to contact the woman.
asserted
Mail → attempt → woman
In February 2023, the original interim ADVO was dismissed but on the same day a similar two-year order was imposed.
asserted
order → dismiss → day
The September 2021 charges were finalised in January 2024 when O'Keefe was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and contravening an ADVO.
asserted
O'Keefe → finalise → ADVO
O'Keefe was convicted of those offences, as well as another 2022 ADVO breach, and placed on an 18-month community correction order.
asserted
O'Keefe → convict → order
Magistrate Alison Viney described O'Keefe kicking, spitting, scratching and otherwise assaulting the woman, who he called a 'lying dog' and a 'c***'.
asserted
he → describe → who
O'Keefe denied the assaults took place, stating: 'None of this happened'.
'I don't wish to preempt the court's thoughts on the matter,' O'Keefe said.
asserted
O'Keefe → deny → matter
'But one thing is clear as a matter of simple fact: there has been no incident of any kind that has triggered this unusual application'
asserted
that → trigger → application
He was also fined $800 for two counts of drug possession and found not guilty of the resisting police charge.
asserted
He → fin → charge
The drug convictions were later quashed but O'Keefe lost an appeal against the assault convictions in September 2024.
asserted
O'Keefe → quash → September
O'Keefe's last set of offences involving the woman were dealt with by Judge Jacqueline Milledge at Waverley Local Court on October 10, 2024.
asserted
set → involve → October
Ms Milledge was familiar with O'Keefe's past problems with the law, after the father-of-three had to be revived after a heroin overdose the previous month.
asserted
father → have → overdose
Following his discharge from hospital O'Keefe was arrested at Point Piper in possession of methamphetamine, after reporting on bail to Rose Bay police station.
asserted
O'Keefe → follow → station
Having been taken into custody, fresh charges of breaching bail and possessing a prohibited drug were briefly mentioned in Ms Milledge's court.
asserted
charges → take → court
'He's lucky to be alive,' Ms Milledge said, describing the case as 'just awful'.
asserted
Milledge → say → case
When O'Keefe's lawyer said his client might make a release application the next month if a bed in a rehabilitation clinic became available, Ms Milledge responded, 'been there, done that'.
uncertain
Milledge → say → that
O'Keefe has previously been convicted of domestic violence, drug and driving offences, undergoing cycles of rehabilitation and spending short stints behind bars
'
asserted
O'Keefe → convict → bars
It's absolutely tragic,' she said.
asserted
she → say → ?
'It's very, very sad but the last time he walked in through that door - and he's a frequent flyer - he goes to the dock and he sits there and he's so used to it.
asserted
he → walk → it
The mental health applications and rehabs, they've all been tried and tested and failed.'
'God help him.
asserted
God → try → him
It's a shame he doesn't have an epiphany.
asserted
he → have → epiphany
When O'Keefe came back before Ms Milledge for sentencing three weeks later she put him on a 30-month community correction order for breaching the ADVO.
asserted
she → come → ADVO
Ms Milledge also fined O'Keefe $2,000 for driving with an illicit drug in his system, $500 for trespassing and $1,000 for possessing a prohibited drug.
asserted
Milledge → fin → drug
As well as the fines and CCO, which runs until April next year, Ms Milledge threatened to send O'Keefe to jail if he didn't stay out of trouble.
asserted
he → run → trouble
'You have been given lots of opportunities to do something about your use of drugs,' she said.
asserted
she → give → drugs
I can assure you the next step is jail.
asserted
step → assure → you
I'm not just saying that, I absolutely mean it.'
asserted
I → say → it
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
