Previous Down Under Lawmaker Imprisoned for Above Half a Decade for Sex Crimes
A former Australian politician convicted of sexually abusing two young men encountered via his position received a sentence to nearly six years in prison.
Case Details
Gareth Ward, forty-four, remained in jail since last summer after the court found him guilty of raping an individual and attacking a second person, in multiple events in 2013 then 2015.
Ward served the coastal town of the regional area in the New South Wales government from the year 2011. He left his position as a political party minister when accusations came to light in 2021 but refused to quit his seat and returned to office in last year.
Court Ruling
The presiding officer Kara Shead evaluated Ward's disability of vision impairment in the ruling and determined "no alternative punishment besides incarceration could be considered".
The convicted individual, who appeared via remote connection at the judicial venue, will serve at no less than nearly four years in custody before he can apply for early release.
Justice Shead declared the judicial system needs to "send a stern message to potential criminals that illegal behaviors such as this will be faced with salutary penalties".
Additional Information
Additionally stated the defendant had "escaped justice for a decade and enjoyed a life without a programme or consequence for his crimes during that time".
Post-trial, Ward launched a failed legal bid to stay in parliament and left office moments before the members could remove him.
His legal team has stated earlier he aims to appeal the ruling.
Incident Details
The defendant's nine-week trial in the state court learned that he asked a inebriated 18-year-old man to his residence in the first incident and indecently assaulted him three times, despite his attempts to fight back.
Subsequently, he sexually assaulted a 24-year-old office worker at his residence after an event at the legislature.
The defendant had argued the later assault was fabricated, and that the first victim was inaccurate regarding their encounter from the first incident.
However, prosecutors argued that significant resemblances in the accounts of the individuals, who were unacquainted with the other, demonstrated they were being honest.
A jury debated for multiple days before returning the findings of guilt.
The political exit prompted a replacement vote in Kiama in autumn, which was won by the challenger.
