Gareth Ward jailed for sexually assaulting two men

“The criminal’s actions were deliberate and predatory.”

Ward had already been detained for three months after being convicted by a 12-member jury that attended a nine-week trial and deliberated for about three days.

He resigned from parliament from Hunter Prison near Cessnock, hours before a planned expulsion vote against him.

In February 2013, Ward was attacked at the then 18-year-old Liberal MP’s Meroo Meadow home on the South Coast, where he offered his victim a drink.

The man put his hands down the man’s shorts, touched his buttocks and genitals in the backyard, and attacked him a third time in bed at home after the young man said he wanted to sleep, despite requests to stop.

Two years later Ward raped a 24-year-old political worker in her Sydney apartment following an event at NSW Parliament House. Ward climbed into bed with her, groped her behind, and sexually assaulted her in the face of continued resistance.

In victim impact statements previously submitted to the court, both men described the power imbalances they faced – one was a political staff member, the other a young man awaiting approval for membership of the Young Liberals – that left them afraid to come forward.

The then-18-year-old described debilitating drug and alcohol problems that followed, leading to instability and harm to loved ones, until he got sober seven years ago. He said the frequent returns continue to this day.

Alcohol was also a form of self-medication for the 24-year-old victim, who still struggles with addiction. She described living in a “constant state of distrust and suspicion” and being raped by “someone tasked with protecting our most vulnerable” destroyed her dreams of succeeding in politics.

The attacks first emerged as accusations during Gladys Berejiklian’s second term as prime minister, when Ward was minister for families, communities and disability services.

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He resigned from the Liberal Party in May 2021 and was suspended from parliament after moving to the bench, but returned following his re-election as an independent to his South Coast seat in 2023.

The convicted rapist faced 14 years in prison for sexual intercourse without consent and five years for indecent assault.

Arguing for a lighter sentence, Ward’s barrister David Campbell SC said his client faced extra punishment because of his “enormous fall from grace”, that the legal process was “very humiliating” and that his crimes were “spontaneous”.

Campbell, who had previously argued for bail before sentencing, said Ward was at risk of “physical violence or otherwise” in custody due to his public status, but Crown Prosecutor Monika Knowles said prisons were well equipped to manage security issues.

More to come.

If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual assault or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In an emergency, call 000.