Disgraced former MP Gareth Ward still posting online
Ward, who was last month found guilty of one count of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault against two young men, fully intended to stay on as an MP, fighting attempts to expel him from parliament in the NSW Supreme Court.
When the Court of Appeal rejected Ward's last-ditch attempt to stay on, the former MP resigned hours before parliament was set to formally expel him last week, all from the comfort of his cell in Cessnock, where he is being held before a sentencing hearing next month.
Despite the former MP being behind bars, Ward's Facebook page, taken down after his conviction, is back online, featuring a profile picture taken during the trial which shows him posing outside the Sydney courtroom that would later decide his fate, and cheerily waving his Akubra at the cameras.
To pretty much anyone outside a cluster of towns on the South Coast, it remains a mystery how Ward was returned to parliament as an independent at the 2023 election while facing serious criminal charges that would later lead to conviction.
That Facebook page provided some clues, documenting Ward's constant presence at just about every community event and relentless courting of local organisations, particularly those popular among older voters.
His last post was three days before a jury convicted him.
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The Advertiser
18 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Family 'broken' by teen killer's sentence reduction
The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served. The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served. The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served. The family of a woman murdered during a home invasion have been left "broken" by the teen killer's sentence being reduced by almost 18 months on appeal. The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022. Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision. Victims of youth crime ambassador Lyndy Atkinson, who had worked with the Lovells since before the original sentencing, said the family now felt additional trauma. "They are a broken family ... (the teen defendant) will be able to get out and live his best life," she said. "Lee Lovell has lost a wife, his two girls have lost a mother. To me, it is still on the side of the offender and victims are continually being left behind." Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws". "I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said. Queensland opposition leader Steven Miles said he did not want to "score cheap political points" but was shocked by the decision and thinking of the family. Mrs Lovell's husband Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down. The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time"' changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole. "The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the state and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Ms Frecklington said. "The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure." Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous". The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, with two of the three judges agreeing it was "manifestly excessive". In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Bond stated he was "respectfully" not able to find the sentence unjust or plainly unreasonable. Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent. He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent. The teen had appealed Justice Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years. However, Justice Boddice found Justice Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time was correct as the offences were "properly described as provoking a sense of outrage". The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served. The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October. He was found guilty of burglary and assaulting Mr Lovell, and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention - time he has served.
Sydney Morning Herald
18 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Just wrong': State government seeks to draft public servants into WFH campaign
Public servants are being asked to join the Allan government's political campaign for work-from-home rights, with departmental secretaries encouraging rank-and-file staff to use their personal and family networks to promote a government survey. The move was slammed by experienced public servants, Victoria's public sector union, the stage opposition and an expert in public law, who likened the government to a party cartel. The government's central public service agency, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, this week distributed to all departments a series of internal and external communications designed to drive more people to the government's online survey about working from home. The material included a pro forma letter for departmental secretaries to send to staff to encourage them to 'support this important work by promoting the survey to colleagues, friends and family'. The material invites public servants to promote the government's work-from-home rights campaign on social media platforms X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and through departmental newsletters and the Victorian Public Service intranet. The provided talking points claim 'the proposed law will reflect the real-world experience of working from home, including what's fair, what's practical and what's already working in many workplaces'. Premier Jacinta Allan has promised to legislate before next year's state election a right to work from home two days a week. The proposal faces a fierce backlash from business and employer groups and scepticism from workplace lawyers, who argue the state does not have jurisdiction over industrial relations. The government believes the idea is popular among voters, particularly women, and this week used its entire allotment of ministerial statements in question time to promote its work-from-home agenda.
West Australian
21 hours ago
- West Australian
Nathan Hill: Burlington Police Chief's toddler brutally mauled to death by former drug sniffing dog K-9 Draco
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT A police officer has been left devastated after his toddler was brutally mauled to death by a former police dog. The three-year-old was the daughter of Nathan Hill, the police chief of a small city called Burlington which sits along the Colorado-Kansas border. His family were housing K-9 Draco, a German Shepard who formerly worked as a drug sniffing dog before he was donated to the Burlington Police Department after having been recently taken out of service. On Monday, K-9 Draco brutally attacked Officer Hill's daughter while he was not at home. Paramedics arrived at the tragic scene within minutes of an emergency call, and found the toddler alongside her devastated mother. The dog was no longer attacking the girl, and had been secured in a kennel, Fox12 Oregon reported. Despite emergency services arriving so quickly, the girl was unable to be saved and was tragically pronounced dead at the local hospital. Draco was taken to the pound and put down. He had previously worked with the Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office, but was taken out of service because the department ended its K-9 program. Authorities said the dog was not trained in bite work. In a statement, the Burlington Police Department said an investigation is underway, but that the attack was a 'tragic accident' and was not a 'criminal matter'. 'We want to assure the community that there is no ongoing threat to public safety,' the statement said. 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occured within the city limits of Burlington CO. Our hearts go out to Chief Nate Hill, his wife and family for the loss of their little girl, who was victim of a dog attack. 'The City of Burlington staff is a family, and our hearts are hurting for the family and those affected by this unfortunate event. 'We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Kit Carson County Sheriff's Office, Burlington Police Department, first responders and hospital staff for their swift and professional response. Their dedication and hard work in the face of adversity are truly commendable. 'The situation is under control, and we are committed to providing any necessary support to those impacted.' Tributes are flowing for the girl and her grieving family. 'I'm so shocked and saddened by this tragedy. Thoughts and prayers for her family and all those who responded,' one Facebook user wrote 'My heart aches for this family. I can not even begin to imagine the pain.. We are praying. And I hope God gives you the strength to get through this,' another wrote.
