The trial of independent NSW MP Gareth Ward began this week with a Sydney court hearing accusations that in 2015 the former Liberal party member allegedly raped a political staffer at his home after they’d both attended a function.
The politician is also facing accusations that he allegedly indecently assaulted an 18-year-old man at his home on the NSW south coast in 2013.
Ward was the Liberal member for the state seat of Kiama when the offences occurred, having first been elected to the seat in 2011. After he was charged over the offences in 2022, Ward was suspended from the NSW parliament after the charged were placed. He was re-elected to the seat at the 2023 election as an independent.
Ward has pleaded not guilty to all five charges, and the trial is expected to run for four weeks.
This week the court heard the allegations that Ward, who was 34 years old in 2015, invited a 24-year-old political staffer, who worked for another MP, to stay at his Sydney home after they had both attended an event at the NSW parliament.
In a separate incident Ward is accused of assaulting an 18-year-old man at his home in Meroo Meadow in 2013. It has been alleged that the teenager met Ward on a business trip when he was seventeen and later became a member of the Young Liberals.
Prosecutors have alleged that the young man bumped into Ward in Nowra on his way to a party. Ward indicated that he might be inviting some friends over to his house later in the evening. Later after having a disagreement with his girlfriend the young man spoken to Ward via telephone and agreed to head to his residence. When he arrived he was allegedly surprised to find no other people were there.
After drinking alcohol at Ward’s house the young man said he pretended to pass out on the grass in the garden as a joke. He’s told police that Ward rushed over and shook him, but then put his hands inside the complainant’s shorts rubbing his buttocks and moving his hand to his genitals.
The young man said he was in shock and froze, and then pretended to wake up. He said he was going to go home, but alleges ward steered his towards on of the bedrooms in the house. He said Ward then “mounted” him and massaged his body. He says he told the politicians to stop, and they then both fell asleep.
After the alleged incident the young man stayed in contact with Ward for business purposes, but later cut off all contact. The alleged assaults were reported in 2020.
One of the witness es who will be called to testify before the court is a woman who was a friend of both complainants who has told police about each of the men separately detailing their alleged experiences.
