Andrew O’Keefe Receives 18-Month Behaviour Bond After Assault Conviction
In a Wednesday court ruling, Andrew O’Keefe, the former host of Channel Seven‘s Deal or No Deal and The Chase Australia, was sentenced to an 18-month good behaviour bond.
This verdict comes after his conviction for assaulting a woman during a dispute in 2021.
Magistrate Alison Viney of a Sydney court found the 52-year-old guilty of common assault, common assault occasioning actual bodily harm, violating an AVO (Apprehended Violence Order), and possessing drugs. However, O’Keefe was cleared of one charge of resisting arrest.
The incident occurred in September 2021 while O’Keefe was residing at the complainant’s residence in Sydney, adhering to COVID-19 isolation guidelines. The altercation led to the woman sustaining visible injuries, with O’Keefe accused of spitting, pushing, and kicking her. Despite these allegations, O’Keefe contested the claims, arguing that the injuries occurred accidentally when he fell on her.
During the trial, Magistrate Viney expressed her belief in the victim’s account, noting O’Keefe‘s tendency to minimize his actions. The magistrate acknowledged the woman’s discomfort in testifying against O’Keefe, who had once been an ambassador for White Ribbon, a campaign against domestic violence.
Further considering O’Keefe‘s four months in custody and participation in a residential rehabilitation program in 2022, Magistrate Viney sentenced him to various community corrections orders and imposed an $800 fine for drug possession. The magistrate emphasized the need for O’Keefe to remain vigilant against addiction relapse, condemning his actions as “violent and degrading.”
O’Keefe, who had a prominent career in media before struggles with addiction, expressed gratitude towards the magistrate for her thorough consideration of the case. He also indicated plans to appeal the decision.
What a joke of a sentence, Should have got a lot more a couple of years in prison.