Ex- Down Under Lawmaker Imprisoned for More Than Half a Decade for Criminal Acts
A former public official sentenced of assaulting two individuals encountered via his position has been sentenced to nearly six years in detention.
Trial Information
The defendant, mid-forties, was in custody since mid-year after a jury found him guilty of attacking a victim and sexually abusing another individual, in multiple events in over two years.
The defendant served the seaside community of the district in the state parliament from 2011. He resigned as a Liberal Party official when accusations surfaced in 2021 but declined to leave parliament and won again in 2023.
Court Ruling
Judge the judicial figure considered his visual impairment of legal blindness in the ruling and determined "no other penalty other than imprisonment would be suitable".
Ward, who was present via video-link at the judicial venue, will serve at least three years and nine months in detention before he can request parole.
Justice Shead declared the legal system needs to "issue a clear statement to potential criminals that illegal behaviors such as this will be faced with significant consequences".
Further Details
Additionally stated the convicted man had "evaded consequences for multiple years and enjoyed a life free from a treatment or punishment for his crimes during those years".
After his conviction, the individual launched a failed court challenge to stay in his position and resigned shortly before the congress could expel him.
Defense attorneys has indicated before he intends to contest the guilty verdict.
Incident Details
Ward's lengthy proceedings in the NSW District Court learned that he invited a drunk young adult to his home in 2013 and attacked him repeatedly, despite resistance attempts to fight back.
In 2015, he raped a young office worker at his residence after a function at government offices.
The defendant had argued the 2015 rape didn't happen, and that the first victim was misremembering their meeting from the first incident.
However, prosecutors argued that notable parallels in the accounts of the two men, who had no connection to the other, showed they were being honest.
The panel debated for multiple days before delivering the convictions.
The political exit prompted a replacement vote in his constituency in September, which was secured by the challenger.
