Previous Down Under Public Figure Jailed for Above Five Years for Criminal Acts

One-time Australian politician sentenced of assaulting two victims connected through his position has been sentenced to 69 months in prison.

Trial Information

The defendant, mid-forties, was in jail since mid-year after the court found him guilty of sexually assaulting an individual and indecently assaulting another individual, in different occasions in over two years.

Ward acted for the coastal town of the regional area in the NSW government from over a decade ago. He resigned as a political party official when allegations came to light in recent years but declined to leave parliament and returned to office in last year.

Sentencing Details

Judge the court official took into account his visual impairment of legal blindness in the judgment and found "no alternative punishment besides imprisonment would be suitable".

The defendant, who appeared via video-link at the judicial venue, will undergo at least 45 months in custody before he can apply for conditional freedom.

Justice Shead declared the judicial system needs to "send a stern message to similar individuals that sexual offendings of this nature will be met with serious punishments".

Further Details

She also said the convicted man had "evaded consequences for multiple years and lived freely absent a rehabilitation program or punishment for his crimes during that time".

Following the verdict, Ward attempted a unsuccessful court challenge to continue in his position and stepped down just prior to the members could expel him.

His legal team has stated earlier he intends to contest the guilty verdict.

Incident Details

His lengthy proceedings in the state court was told that he brought a drunk teenager to his property in 2013 and sexually abused him three times, despite his attempts to fight back.

Two years later, he attacked a young government employee at his home after an event at parliament.

The defendant had claimed the 2015 rape didn't happen, and that the other complainant was misremembering their encounter from the first incident.

The state's attorneys maintained that striking similarities in the testimonies of the individuals, who did not know the other, proved they were being honest.

Court members considered for multiple days before returning the findings of guilt.

His departure prompted a special election in his constituency in September, which was won by the opposition party.