Ex- Australian Lawmaker Imprisoned for Over Five Years for Sex Crimes
One-time Australian politician sentenced of attacking two individuals encountered via his position was given to 69 months in prison.
Trial Information
Gareth Ward, 44, remained in jail since last summer after a jury determined his guilt of raping one man and attacking a second person, in different occasions in 2013 and 2015.
The politician acted for the coastal town of Kiama in the NSW legislature from the year 2011. He stepped down as a political party official when accusations surfaced in 2021 but resisted resigning from the legislature and returned to office in last year.
Judgment Information
Judge the judicial figure took into account the defendant's condition of vision impairment in her sentence and determined "no different consequence other than imprisonment could be considered".
Ward, who participated via digital means at Parramatta District Court, will serve at minimum three years and nine months in prison before he can seek conditional freedom.
The court official said the legal system needs to "issue a clear statement to potential criminals that criminal acts such as this will be subject to significant consequences".
Additional Information
She also said Ward had "escaped justice for a decade and lived freely free from a treatment or penalty for his crimes during that time".
Post-trial, Ward launched a failed legal bid to remain in parliament and stepped down shortly before the congress could oust him.
Representatives has indicated before he intends to appeal the ruling.
Incident Details
Ward's nine-week trial in the NSW District Court was told that he invited a drunk 18-year-old man to his property in 2013 and sexually abused him repeatedly, despite resistance attempts to oppose.
Two years later, he attacked a 24-year-old government employee at his property after a gathering at government offices.
The defendant had argued the 2015 rape was fabricated, and that the other complainant was inaccurate regarding their encounter from the first incident.
The state's attorneys maintained that notable parallels in the accounts of the victims, who were unacquainted with the other, proved they were being honest.
The panel deliberated for multiple days before returning the findings of guilt.
Ward's resignation caused a replacement vote in his constituency in September, which was won by the opposition party.
