Ex- Down Under Lawmaker Sentenced for Over Half a Decade for Criminal Acts
A former public official found guilty of attacking two individuals encountered via his position has been sentenced to nearly six years in detention.
Trial Information
Gareth Ward, 44, was in custody since July after the court convicted him of raping a victim and attacking another individual, in multiple events in over two years.
The defendant represented the seaside community of the regional area in the state government from the year 2011. He stepped down as a political party official when allegations came to light in 2021 but refused to quit the legislature and won again in 2023.
Sentencing Details
The presiding officer the court official evaluated the defendant's condition of sight disability in the ruling and found "no alternative punishment besides imprisonment is appropriate".
The defendant, who participated via video-link at the judicial venue, will complete at no less than 45 months in custody before he can seek conditional freedom.
The court official stated the court needs to "deliver a strong warning to potential criminals that sexual offendings such as this will be subject to serious punishments".
Additional Information
The judge added the defendant had "avoided punishment for a decade and enjoyed a life free from a treatment or punishment for his actions during that period".
After his conviction, the individual attempted a rejected appeal attempt to continue in government and left office moments before the legislature could remove him.
Defense attorneys has previously said he aims to contest the conviction.
Incident Details
Ward's extended court case in the NSW District Court learned that he invited a drunk teenager to his home in 2013 and sexually abused him on multiple occasions, despite his attempts to resist.
Two years later, he sexually assaulted a young office worker at his home after an event at government offices.
The defendant had claimed the later assault never occurred, and that the first victim was misremembering their interaction from the first incident.
But the prosecution maintained that significant resemblances in the accounts of the victims, who were unacquainted with each other, showed they were accurate in their accounts.
A jury deliberated for 72 hours before delivering the guilty verdicts.
His departure led to a special election in the district in last fall, which was won by the Labor candidate.
