Shocking Verdict: NSW MP Gareth Ward Convicted of Sexual Assaults

Gareth Ward Found Guilty of Serious Crimes

On Friday, Gareth Ward, an independent member of the New South Wales Parliament, was convicted of raping one man and sexually assaulting another in two distinct incidents that took place years apart.

The jury at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney found Ward, 44, guilty of one charge of sexual intercourse without consent involving a 24-year-old man in 2015, as well as three counts of indecent assault against an 18-year-old man in 2013.

Prosecutors highlighted that both victims, who were unaware of each other, recounted remarkably similar experiences with Ward, who was a Liberal MP at the time. Crown prosecutor Monika Knowles emphasized to the jury, 'Similar behavior, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence.'

Ward has consistently denied the allegations, asserting that the 2015 incident 'did not occur' and claiming that the 2013 event was misrepresented. His defense team contended that the claims were fabricated.

Evidence presented in court revealed that in 2013, Ward invited a young man, who had been drinking, to his home on the South Coast and assaulted him three times despite his objections. In 2015, prosecutors stated that Ward raped a staff member who was intoxicated following an event at the NSW Parliament House.

First elected to parliament in 2011 as a Liberal, Ward served as a minister after the 2019 state election. He left the party in 2021 after revealing that he was under investigation and was subsequently re-elected as an independent in 2023.

Currently, Ward has been granted bail and is living at one of his two residences.

A court hearing scheduled for next Wednesday will determine whether he will be taken into custody, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.