🔗 Share this article Ex- Down Under Public Figure Sentenced for Above Five Years for Sexual Offenses Gareth Ward has been jailed for nearly six years for the sexual abuse of two men An ex- lawmaker sentenced of sexually abusing two victims connected through professional activities received a sentence to 69 months in prison. Trial Information Gareth Ward, 44, has been in prison since July after a jury determined his guilt of raping an individual and indecently assaulting another, in multiple events in over two years. The defendant served the oceanfront municipality of Kiama in the state government from the year 2011. He resigned as a government cabinet member when the claims surfaced in 2021 but declined to leave the legislature and was re-elected in 2023. Court Ruling Judge the judicial figure evaluated Ward's disability of legal blindness in the ruling and found "no other penalty except for imprisonment would be suitable". The convicted individual, who was present via video-link at the judicial venue, will undergo at least 45 months in prison before he can apply for early release. The judge said the legal system needs to "deliver a strong warning to potential criminals that criminal acts like these will be met with significant consequences". Further Details The judge added Ward had "escaped justice for multiple years and enjoyed a life without a programme or penalty for his actions during those years". Post-trial, the individual launched a failed appeal attempt to continue in his position and resigned moments before the members could oust him. His legal team has indicated before he aims to challenge the ruling. Case Facts The defendant's nine-week trial in the NSW District Court heard that he brought a inebriated 18-year-old man to his property in 2013 and sexually abused him three times, despite the victim's efforts to fight back. In 2015, he attacked a young government employee at his home after a function at parliament. The defendant had claimed the second incident was fabricated, and that the other complainant was misremembering their encounter from 2013. However, prosecutors contended that notable parallels in the testimonies of the two men, who did not know the other, showed they were accurate in their accounts. A jury considered for multiple days before returning the findings of guilt. Ward's resignation prompted a by-election in his constituency in last fall, which was secured by the challenger.