Kiama MP Gareth Ward has been found guilty of assaulting two young men. Photo: Facebook.
CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to sexual assault.
A jury has found Kiama MP Gareth Ward guilty of three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse without consent.
The jury returned its verdict after two days of deliberations following an eight-week trial.
Ward was not convicted of one count of common assault; it was an alternate charge to one of the indecent assault charges.
The jury found Ward sexually assaulted an 18-year-old man at his Meroo Meadow home in 2013.
They also found he digitally raped a 24-year-old man at his Potts Point home in 2015 following a function at Parliament House.
The jury agreed with the prosecution case that Ward used his power and influence to foster relationships with the young men, lure them back to his home and ply them with alcohol before sexually assaulting them.
He had built a friendship with one of the young men after meeting the then 17-year-old at a networking event and employing his start-up business; the assault took place weeks after the victim’s 18th birthday.
The other victim was a staffer at Parliament House, and Ward promised him a “bright future” in politics after the rape.
Ward was aged in his early 30s when the offences took place, and the court heard he often held parties for Young Liberals at his Meroo Meadow home where large quantities of alcohol were consumed, and, according to Ward’s own defence lawyer, “some of these young people had an interest in drugs”.
Ward’s defence argued the case rested upon the “say-so” of the victims, and that they were unreliable witnesses; however, the jury found their accounts to be credible.
The victims cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Ward’s sentence and bail conditions have not yet been handed down by the presiding judge.
If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.
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