Ex- Australian Lawmaker Imprisoned for Above Five Years for Criminal Acts
An ex- public official sentenced of sexually abusing two individuals connected through work has been sentenced to 69 months in prison.
Trial Information
The former official, mid-forties, was in prison since July after judicial panel convicted him of attacking an individual and attacking another individual, in separate incidents in 2013 then 2015.
Ward represented the seaside community of the district in the New South Wales government from over a decade ago. He resigned as a Liberal Party cabinet member when accusations emerged in 2021 but refused to quit his seat and returned to office in last year.
Judgment Information
Judge the judicial figure considered the defendant's condition of sight disability in the judgment and found "no different consequence except for detention could be considered".
The defendant, who was present via remote connection at the courthouse, will serve at minimum 45 months in detention before he can apply for parole.
The judge stated the judicial system needs to "deliver a strong warning to like-minded offenders that illegal behaviors like these will be met with salutary penalties".
Further Details
The judge added the defendant had "escaped justice for multiple years and lived freely absent a treatment or punishment for the offenses during those years".
After his conviction, the politician launched a rejected appeal attempt to remain in parliament and stepped down moments before the legislature could expel him.
Defense attorneys has indicated before he plans to appeal the conviction.
Trial Evidence
Ward's extended court case in the judicial venue heard that he brought a intoxicated teenager to his home in 2013 and indecently assaulted him three times, despite the victim's efforts to fight back.
In 2015, he raped a mid-twenties government employee at his residence after a gathering at the legislature.
The defendant had maintained the later assault never occurred, and that the first victim was misremembering their meeting from the first incident.
However, prosecutors contended that striking similarities in the testimonies of the individuals, who had no connection to each other, showed they were telling the truth.
Court members deliberated for 72 hours before announcing the convictions.
The political exit caused a replacement vote in the district in last fall, which was won by the Labor candidate.
