Previous Australian Politician Jailed for Above Half a Decade for Sexual Offenses
A former public official sentenced of attacking two victims he met through work was given to nearly six years in prison.
Trial Information
The former official, forty-four, has been in prison since last summer after judicial panel found him guilty of raping an individual and sexually abusing a second person, in separate incidents in 2013 then 2015.
Ward represented the coastal town of the district in the New South Wales parliament from 2011. He stepped down as a government minister when accusations emerged in 2021 but refused to quit his seat and was re-elected in 2023.
Judgment Information
The presiding officer the judicial figure took into account Ward's disability of sight disability in the judgment and concluded "no other penalty except for imprisonment could be considered".
Ward, who participated via video-link at the courthouse, will complete at no less than nearly four years in prison before he can seek parole.
Justice Shead said the legal system needs to "issue a clear statement to similar individuals that sexual offendings of this nature will be faced with serious punishments".
Additional Information
The judge added the defendant had "evaded consequences for multiple years and enjoyed a life without a programme or penalty for his actions during that period".
Following the verdict, the politician launched a rejected legal bid to stay in his position and resigned moments before the congress could expel him.
Defense attorneys has stated earlier he intends to appeal the conviction.
Trial Evidence
His nine-week trial in the state court heard that he brought a inebriated teenager to his residence in 2013 and indecently assaulted him three times, despite his attempts to fight back.
In 2015, he raped a mid-twenties government employee at his home after a gathering at government offices.
Ward had argued the 2015 rape was fabricated, and that the other complainant was confused about their encounter from 2013.
But the prosecution maintained that notable parallels in the statements of the victims, who did not know the other, proved they were accurate in their accounts.
The panel deliberated for 72 hours before delivering the guilty verdicts.
His departure prompted a replacement vote in the district in last fall, which was claimed by the Labor candidate.
