Former Australian Public Figure Jailed for Over Five Years for Sexual Offenses
A former public official convicted of assaulting two young men he met through work was given to nearly six years in prison.
Legal Proceedings
Gareth Ward, forty-four, was in custody since last summer after the court found him guilty of attacking one man and attacking a second person, in multiple events in 2013 and 2015.
Ward served the coastal town of Kiama in the NSW legislature from 2011. He left his position as a political party official when accusations came to light in recent years but resisted resigning from his seat and returned to office in last year.
Court Ruling
The presiding officer the judicial figure considered the defendant's condition of vision impairment in the ruling and determined "no alternative punishment except for imprisonment could be considered".
The defendant, who participated via video-link at the courthouse, will undergo at least nearly four years in prison before he can request conditional freedom.
The judge said the court needs to "issue a clear statement to similar individuals that sexual offendings of this nature will be faced with salutary penalties".
Additional Information
The judge added the convicted man had "escaped justice for a decade and experienced freedom free from a treatment or consequence for the offenses during those years".
Following the verdict, Ward launched a failed court challenge to continue in government and resigned shortly before the members could remove him.
Defense attorneys has stated earlier he plans to challenge the ruling.
Case Facts
The defendant's lengthy proceedings in the NSW District Court learned that he asked a intoxicated 18-year-old man to his home in 2013 and attacked him on multiple occasions, despite the victim's efforts to oppose.
Subsequently, he sexually assaulted a young government employee at his residence after a function at parliament.
Ward had claimed the second incident never occurred, and that the first victim was inaccurate regarding their interaction from the first incident.
However, prosecutors argued that notable parallels in the statements of the two men, who had no connection to each other, demonstrated they were telling the truth.
The panel debated for multiple days before returning the findings of guilt.
His departure caused a special election in his constituency in autumn, which was won by the Labor candidate.
