Monster of Parliament: Former MP Gareth Ward Jailed for Sickening Sex Attacks on Young Men
- A disgraced former minister will spend years behind bars for the sexual abuse of two young male victims.
- Judge Kara Shead described Gareth Ward’s actions as ‘deliberate and predatory’ during sentencing.
- The 44-year-old’s shocking crimes included raping a 24-year-old man who had voiced his non-consent.
Gareth Ward, the former Kiama state MP, has been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for his sickening sex attacks on two young men. The 44-year-old’s actions were described as ‘deliberate and predatory’ by Judge Kara Shead during sentencing at Parramatta District Court in western Sydney.
Ward’s victims, who were just 18 and 24 years old at the time of the attacks, were subjected to horrific ordeals at the hands of the former minister. In one case, Ward invited a drunk 18-year-old man to his home on the NSW south coast, where he indecently touched him on the grass outside and then straddled him on the bed in his bedroom.
The teenager begged Ward to stop, saying ‘No, like I’m going to sleep. Get off.’ But Ward replied, ‘No, relax. You know I’ll give you a massage.’ The court heard that Ward continued to assault the teenager despite his pleas for him to stop.
In another shocking incident, Ward sexually assaulted an intoxicated political staffer at his own inner-city apartment after a mid-week event at NSW Parliament House. The 24-year-old man said Ward climbed into bed with him, groped his backside and sexually assaulted him despite him repeatedly saying ‘no’.
Ward’s non-parole period of three years and nine months will expire on April 29, 2029. The former minister was removed from his position as minister for families, communities and disability services and shifted to the crossbench after reports of police investigating sexual crime allegations in 2021.
Despite the charges hanging over his head, Ward was re-elected as an independent during the 2023 election. However, he resigned from his position in August, hours before a parliamentary expulsion vote was due to take place.
Ward’s resignation narrowly avoided him becoming the fifth person expelled from NSW parliament in two centuries. The former minister’s shocking crimes have sent shockwaves through the community, with many calling for greater accountability and support for victims of sexual assault.