Andrew O'Keefe Fined and Banned from Driving for Drug-Related Offence
Andrew O'Keefe has been fined $440 and banned from driving for six months after being charged with driving under the influence of drugs. He pleaded guilty to having methylamphetamine in his system.
Former TV star Andrew O'Keefe has been fined and banned from driving for six months after being charged with driving with drugs in his system.
The 53-year-old was stopped at 11.30am on July 28 while driving his Mercedes along Cranbrook Rd in Rose Bay, located in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
Although he returned a negative result for a roadside breath test, he recorded a positive result for the roadside drug test.
Subsequently, he was taken to Waverley Police Station, where a second oral fluid test also returned a positive reading.
O'Keefe was charged with driving a vehicle with an illicit drug present in his system.
In Waverley Local Court on Friday, O'Keefe, represented by lawyer Jahan Kalantar, pleaded guilty to having methylamphetamine in his system while driving in July last year.
His lawyer noted that O'Keefe had been overseas and returned solely for the hearing.
The court was informed that O'Keefe wasn't issued a court notice for the charges until November 2024 due to delays in laboratory analysis, which the magistrate described as "not uncommon".
Magistrate Michael Barko mentioned that the court attendance notice wasn't filed until late November 2024, with a first return date set for January 2025.
Mr Kalantar acknowledged his client's "poor traffic history" and that he had "struggled with illicit substances for a period of time".
However, he also mentioned that O'Keefe had taken his struggle "very, very seriously".
While O'Keefe was under a conditional release order for a previous offence at the time he was tested, Magistrate Barko chose not to take action regarding the breach.
Barko accounted for several factors, including O'Keefe's sincere apology and letters of support from family, in his conviction.
O'Keefe was issued a $440 fine and prohibited from driving for six months. The magistrate pointed out that the maximum penalty for the offence could have been a $3300 fine and a 12 month driving ban.
