Woman who reported NSW MP Gareth Ward's alleged sex crimes cross-examined

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4 hours ago

A woman who reported NSW MP Gareth Ward's alleged sexual abuse of two men to police has admitted she may have provided incorrect details.
Warning: This story contains discussion of suicide.
Mr Ward, the independent MP for Kiama, has pleaded not guilty to five charges, including sexual intercourse without consent, relating to alleged incidents in 2013 and 2015.
The trial has entered its fifth week, with the NSW District Court sitting for its 15th day on Monday.
The woman, who reported Mr Ward to police in 2021 based on what she said the two men told her, faced sustained questioning about inconsistencies in her evidence.
Last week, she told the court the older complainant disclosed the alleged sexual assault during a night out in 2020.
She said she had reached out to him after seeing a Facebook post that appeared to reference a suicide attempt.
The woman initially told police the older complainant had gone to Mr Ward's parliamentary suite with another man, that all three drank together, and that the second man later left, leaving the complainant alone with Mr Ward.
But under cross-examination by Mr Ward's defence barrister, David Campbell SC, the woman said she may have been wrong about who was present and the sequence of events.
"I conceded last week I may have got those details wrong," she told the court.
The defence also pressed her on her understanding of what the older complainant disclosed to her about the alleged assault.
The Crown has previously alleged the assault took place in an apartment Mr Ward rented in Potts Point.
The defence has said the incident never happened.
"You told police that after the second man left, and while the complainant was alone with Mr Ward in that parliamentary suite, Mr Ward forcibly had penile anal sex with him — that's what you told police," Mr Campbell said.
"I don't remember telling police that," the woman replied.
"But that is what the complainant told you, isn't it," he said.
"He told me he had been anally raped, I didn't ask him specific questions about that," she said.
She was also questioned about where the alleged incident took place.
"The extent of the evidence you can give as to where this occurred is completely silent — you don't know," Mr Campbell said.
"Yes. I did not ask him those details," she replied.
"And he did not tell you," Mr Campbell asked.
"No. I did not ask him, and I would not push him on it — he found it incredibly difficult to tell me that," she said.
Mr Campbell put to her that she had never spoken to the complainant about the conversation or its content since that night.
"Not that I can recall, no," she said.
"Never sought any clarification," he asked.
"Why would I seek clarification from someone who has attempted suicide," she replied.
The woman was also asked who she had spoken to about parts of her evidence last week.
"I have not spoken to anyone about that evidence. I know not to speak to people about it," she told the court.
In re-examination by the Crown, the woman said her father had encouraged her to report the allegations to police.
Asked why she found doing so extremely traumatic, she became visibly emotional.
"Mostly, I was worried the older complainant would take his own life if he knew I breached his confidentiality," she told the court, through tears.
The woman is expected to continue her re-examination on Tuesday, with the jury told they were also likely to hear from the younger complainant.
The trial continues.