Previous Australian Lawmaker Jailed for Over Five Years for Criminal Acts
An ex- lawmaker found guilty of attacking two young men encountered via work received a sentence to five years and nine months in prison.
Trial Information
Gareth Ward, 44, has been in custody since July after a jury convicted him of raping an individual and attacking another individual, in different occasions in 2013 and 2015.
The politician acted for the seaside community of Kiama in the New South Wales government from over a decade ago. He left his position as a government official when the claims emerged in 2021 but resisted resigning from parliament and returned to office in last year.
Judgment Information
Justice Kara Shead considered Ward's disability of sight disability in the ruling and concluded "no different consequence besides imprisonment would be suitable".
Ward, who appeared via remote connection at the courthouse, will serve at minimum three years and nine months in prison before he can request early release.
Justice Shead declared the judicial system needs to "issue a clear statement to potential criminals that criminal acts such as this will be subject to serious punishments".
Case Background
She also said the defendant had "avoided punishment for multiple years and experienced freedom free from a treatment or consequence for his crimes during those years".
Post-trial, the individual attempted a unsuccessful court challenge to remain in government and stepped down shortly before the congress could expel him.
Defense attorneys has stated earlier he intends to challenge the ruling.
Trial Evidence
His nine-week trial in the state court learned that he invited a inebriated 18-year-old man to his home in 2013 and sexually abused him on multiple occasions, despite the victim's efforts to oppose.
Two years later, he attacked a young office worker at his home after a function at the legislature.
The defendant had claimed the later assault didn't happen, and that the additional accuser was misremembering their meeting from the earlier year.
However, prosecutors argued that significant resemblances in the accounts of the victims, who had no connection to the other, showed they were telling the truth.
Court members deliberated for multiple days before delivering the guilty verdicts.
Ward's resignation led to a by-election in his constituency in September, which was secured by the Labor candidate.