Dwell
The upstairs neighbor of a girl allegedly assaulted by former tv presenter Andrew O’Keefe mentioned she “prevented” him on the few events she noticed him.
Nicole Taylor advised a court docket she acknowledged O’Keefe, 51, from tv and the media, and had seen him a number of instances round her residence constructing, however didn’t work together with him.
“I prevented him really,” she mentioned on Tuesday, the second day of a listening to in Sydney’s Downing Middle Native Court docket.
O’Keefe faces resisting police, drug possession and home violence-related assault expenses over an alleged incident at Level Piper in September 2021.
He had six expenses referring to an alleged January 2022 incident at his Sydney CBD residence withdrawn on Monday as a result of the alleged sufferer, which the prosecution case considerably relied on, has left the nation.
Ms Taylor mentioned she heard noises from the residence beneath whereas she was making dinner on September 8, 2021.
“I might hear one thing was going a bit flawed down there,” she mentioned.
She then encountered O’Keefe, who aggressively shut a door in her face.
Returning to depart a be aware, Ms Taylor mentioned she was pulled contained in the door by her neighbour, who had scratches up the within of her forearms and throughout her chest.
The girl was additionally limping and shaking “like a leaf”, Ms Taylor mentioned.
When she requested in regards to the limp the girl mentioned “that she had been kicked by Andrew”.
Throughout a later debrief in Ms Taylor’s residence her neighbor additionally revealed O’Keefe had spat in her face.
Ms Taylor mentioned she walked O’Keefe out of the residence complicated and requested if he was OK.
“He mentioned, ‘what do you assume?’,” Ms Taylor mentioned.
Police later discovered him on the steps of the residence constructing.
Constable Tyler Kelly mentioned O’Keefe appeared “agitated”, mendacity on the bottom, holding his hand over his chest, and asking for water.
“All due respect, does that present agitation?” O’Keefe’s lawyer Richard Pontello SC requested on Tuesday.
“It was the best way he mentioned it,” Constable Kelly mentioned.
“Is not mendacity down the other of agitation?” Mr Pontello requested.
“It was his conduct not that he was mendacity on the steps,” Constable Kelly mentioned.
The court docket was proven body-worn digicam footage from responding police on Monday.
The digicam worn by Constable Elissa Main briefly captured her talking with the girl O’Keefe is accused of assaulting.
Constable Main agreed with Mr Pontello {that a} second dialog occurred “off-the-record” as soon as she had turned her body-worn digicam off.
The girl advised her O’Keefe had been on “a bender” and didn’t sleep, Constable Main agreed.
Mr Pontello on Monday indicated O’Keefe will plead responsible to 1 rely of contravening an apprehended violence order and one rely of possessing a prohibited drug.
O’Keefe beforehand prevented a home violence conviction in June 2021 after expenses have been handled below the NSW Psychological Well being Act.
He was granted conditional launch in Could 2022 to attend a rehabilitation heart for as much as 12 months to fight his cocaine, ice and hashish abuse.
On Tuesday afternoon the court docket closed to take additional proof from a witness.
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-AAP
