By Editor
Copyright dailymail
A man sexually abused by a former families minister feared the politician would get to him before he could tell his story, a court has been told.
The case against Gareth Ward returned to the NSW District Court on Friday for a sentence hearing after the former state MP was found guilty of sexually assaulting a political staffer in 2015 and sexually abusing a drunken 18-year-old in 2013.
As a judge prepares to seal the disgraced Kiama MP’s fate, the first victim laid out the ways Ward’s abuse had altered his life.
“I was fearful that Gareth would get to me before I had the chance to give evidence,” he wrote in a statement read to the court.
That fear increased several weeks before the trial while the man was on a walk with his son.
Noticing a voicemail, he listened to the sound of two gunshots.
Ward’s continued prominence in the NSW south coast area also made the man feel targeted and reinforced his concern.
During some periods, he would even experience dreams and flashbacks to the date of the assault.
“In these dreams, I often tell myself not to go to his house or his bedroom,” the man said.
“I’ve been haunted by the fact I went to sleep next to Gareth.
“I was assaulted by someone I trusted then unconscious next to him for a number of hours.”
Although the experience had forced him to develop resilience and he had found strength in religion, the man said the crime had also taken away his enjoyment.
“I developed a numbness, dulling my ability to experience joy in life,” his statement said.
Ward appeared via audio-visual link from jail and stared straight ahead as the statement was read in the Parramatta court.
He has been behind bars since July, days after a jury convicted the then-sitting MP following his trial.
The 44-year-old narrowly dodged expulsion from the state parliament by announcing his resignation from jail an hour before a vote.
His lawyers will on Friday lay out Ward’s personal circumstances and other mitigating factors as Judge Kara Shead considers his sentence.
The most serious charge against Ward carries a maximum 14-year jail term.
The former families minister denied the allegations against him but he was found guilty of sexual intercourse without consent and three indecent assault charges.
His lawyer previously argued Ward, who is legally blind, would be a target in prison because of his high profile and sexual offences.
Ward was found to have invited a drunk 18-year-old man to his south coast home in February 2013.
The man said Ward plied him with drinks before indecently assaulting him three times in one night, despite his attempts to resist.
Two years later, the long-time MP sexually assaulted an intoxicated political staffer after a mid-week event at NSW parliament house.
The man, who was 24 at the time but is now in his 30s, said Ward climbed into bed with him, groped his backside and sexually assaulted him despite him repeatedly saying “no”.
Ward won the seat of Kiama in 2011 as a Liberal before moving to the crossbench in 2021 when charges were laid.
His personal vote was so significant he was re-elected as an independent during the 2023 election despite being suspended from parliament.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
