Former New South Wales MP Gareth Ward, 44, has been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for sexually abusing two young men he met through work. Ward has been in custody since July, following a jury conviction for rape in 2015 and indecent assault in 2013.
Ward represented the coastal town of Kiama in the NSW parliament from 2011 and resigned as a Liberal Party minister in 2021 when allegations surfaced. Despite calls for him to leave parliament, he was re-elected in 2023 but resigned after his conviction.
Judge Kara Shead SC, noting Ward’s legal blindness, ruled that imprisonment was the only suitable penalty. Ward will serve at least three years and nine months before being eligible for parole. Shead described his actions as “callous and predatory” and emphasized the need to send a strong message to potential offenders.
During his nine-week trial, evidence showed Ward assaulted an 18-year-old in 2013 and raped a 24-year-old staffer in 2015. Both victims reported long-term trauma and reliance on alcohol to cope. Ward denied the offenses and plans to appeal the verdict.
The sentencing has prompted reflection on accountability and political integrity, while a by-election in Kiama, held after his resignation, was won by a Labor candidate.
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