MP's future in doubt after convictions for sexual abuse
Kiama MP Gareth Ward, 44, stood trial in the NSW District Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges.
He was accused of inviting a drunk 18-year-old man - whom he met a year prior - to his South Coast home in February 2013.
The man told the jury that 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 in 2015.
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".
After deliberating for two-and-a-half days, the jury on Friday returned unanimous guilty verdicts for the four sexual offences.
A verdict on a fifth charge of common assault was not necessary because the jurors found the act amounted to an indecent assault.
Ward will be sentenced at a later date.
After the jury was dismissed, crown prosecutor Monika Knowles applied for Ward to be taken into custody.
The application was adjourned until Wednesday but Ward will be restrained by strict bail conditions until then.
He is required to report to police daily and notify officers when he is planning to move between his Sydney and South Coast homes.
Ward didn't speak as he walked out of Darlinghurst Courthouse on Friday afternoon - a stark contrast to his usual smile to waiting photographers.
His parliamentary position could become vacant as a result of the convictions, one of which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail.
The NSW Constitution states MPs will have their seat vacated if convicted of offences punishable with a term of more than five years' imprisonment.
But Ward still has time to lodge an appeal.
A NSW government spokesperson said the justice system had delivered a decisive outcome and Ward should resign from parliament immediately.
"Should Mr Ward refuse to resign, the government will take steps to protect the Legislative Assembly's integrity," the spokesperson said in a statement.
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he respected the verdict and commended the victims for their strength in coming forward.
"There is no excuse for the criminal behaviour which the jury has found occurred beyond reasonable doubt - a complete abuse of power which has no place anywhere, let alone by those entrusted by the public to represent them," he said in a statement.
Ward denied the allegations against him, claiming the incidents either didn't happen or didn't amount to sexual abuse.
But Ms Knowles said there were too many similarities between the accounts of the two complainants - who didn't know each other - to be a coincidence.
They were emotionally vulnerable and had been drinking when Ward invited them over, plied them with more drinks and sexually abused them without consent while they were lying down, she said.
"You might think what happened to (the complainants) did not happen by random chance or just dumb luck," Ms Knowles told the jury.
"Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence."
The evidence showed Ward had a tendency to act on his sexual interest in young men less powerful than him by committing sexual offences against them, the prosecutor argued.
"These people weren't overtaken by force, they were taken by surprise," Ms Knowles said.
Ward has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections under the Liberal banner before securing the 2023 poll as an independent.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
A state MP is set to lose his seat after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men - one of whom was a teenager - during his time in office.
Kiama MP Gareth Ward, 44, stood trial in the NSW District Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges.
He was accused of inviting a drunk 18-year-old man - whom he met a year prior - to his South Coast home in February 2013.
The man told the jury that 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 in 2015.
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".
After deliberating for two-and-a-half days, the jury on Friday returned unanimous guilty verdicts for the four sexual offences.
A verdict on a fifth charge of common assault was not necessary because the jurors found the act amounted to an indecent assault.
Ward will be sentenced at a later date.
After the jury was dismissed, crown prosecutor Monika Knowles applied for Ward to be taken into custody.
The application was adjourned until Wednesday but Ward will be restrained by strict bail conditions until then.
He is required to report to police daily and notify officers when he is planning to move between his Sydney and South Coast homes.
Ward didn't speak as he walked out of Darlinghurst Courthouse on Friday afternoon - a stark contrast to his usual smile to waiting photographers.
His parliamentary position could become vacant as a result of the convictions, one of which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail.
The NSW Constitution states MPs will have their seat vacated if convicted of offences punishable with a term of more than five years' imprisonment.
But Ward still has time to lodge an appeal.
A NSW government spokesperson said the justice system had delivered a decisive outcome and Ward should resign from parliament immediately.
"Should Mr Ward refuse to resign, the government will take steps to protect the Legislative Assembly's integrity," the spokesperson said in a statement.
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he respected the verdict and commended the victims for their strength in coming forward.
"There is no excuse for the criminal behaviour which the jury has found occurred beyond reasonable doubt - a complete abuse of power which has no place anywhere, let alone by those entrusted by the public to represent them," he said in a statement.
Ward denied the allegations against him, claiming the incidents either didn't happen or didn't amount to sexual abuse.
But Ms Knowles said there were too many similarities between the accounts of the two complainants - who didn't know each other - to be a coincidence.
They were emotionally vulnerable and had been drinking when Ward invited them over, plied them with more drinks and sexually abused them without consent while they were lying down, she said.
"You might think what happened to (the complainants) did not happen by random chance or just dumb luck," Ms Knowles told the jury.
"Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence."
The evidence showed Ward had a tendency to act on his sexual interest in young men less powerful than him by committing sexual offences against them, the prosecutor argued.
"These people weren't overtaken by force, they were taken by surprise," Ms Knowles said.
Ward has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections under the Liberal banner before securing the 2023 poll as an independent.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
A state MP is set to lose his seat after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men - one of whom was a teenager - during his time in office.
Kiama MP Gareth Ward, 44, stood trial in the NSW District Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges.
He was accused of inviting a drunk 18-year-old man - whom he met a year prior - to his South Coast home in February 2013.
The man told the jury that 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 in 2015.
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".
After deliberating for two-and-a-half days, the jury on Friday returned unanimous guilty verdicts for the four sexual offences.
A verdict on a fifth charge of common assault was not necessary because the jurors found the act amounted to an indecent assault.
Ward will be sentenced at a later date.
After the jury was dismissed, crown prosecutor Monika Knowles applied for Ward to be taken into custody.
The application was adjourned until Wednesday but Ward will be restrained by strict bail conditions until then.
He is required to report to police daily and notify officers when he is planning to move between his Sydney and South Coast homes.
Ward didn't speak as he walked out of Darlinghurst Courthouse on Friday afternoon - a stark contrast to his usual smile to waiting photographers.
His parliamentary position could become vacant as a result of the convictions, one of which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail.
The NSW Constitution states MPs will have their seat vacated if convicted of offences punishable with a term of more than five years' imprisonment.
But Ward still has time to lodge an appeal.
A NSW government spokesperson said the justice system had delivered a decisive outcome and Ward should resign from parliament immediately.
"Should Mr Ward refuse to resign, the government will take steps to protect the Legislative Assembly's integrity," the spokesperson said in a statement.
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he respected the verdict and commended the victims for their strength in coming forward.
"There is no excuse for the criminal behaviour which the jury has found occurred beyond reasonable doubt - a complete abuse of power which has no place anywhere, let alone by those entrusted by the public to represent them," he said in a statement.
Ward denied the allegations against him, claiming the incidents either didn't happen or didn't amount to sexual abuse.
But Ms Knowles said there were too many similarities between the accounts of the two complainants - who didn't know each other - to be a coincidence.
They were emotionally vulnerable and had been drinking when Ward invited them over, plied them with more drinks and sexually abused them without consent while they were lying down, she said.
"You might think what happened to (the complainants) did not happen by random chance or just dumb luck," Ms Knowles told the jury.
"Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence."
The evidence showed Ward had a tendency to act on his sexual interest in young men less powerful than him by committing sexual offences against them, the prosecutor argued.
"These people weren't overtaken by force, they were taken by surprise," Ms Knowles said.
Ward has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections under the Liberal banner before securing the 2023 poll as an independent.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
A state MP is set to lose his seat after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men - one of whom was a teenager - during his time in office.
Kiama MP Gareth Ward, 44, stood trial in the NSW District Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges.
He was accused of inviting a drunk 18-year-old man - whom he met a year prior - to his South Coast home in February 2013.
The man told the jury that 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 in 2015.
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".
After deliberating for two-and-a-half days, the jury on Friday returned unanimous guilty verdicts for the four sexual offences.
A verdict on a fifth charge of common assault was not necessary because the jurors found the act amounted to an indecent assault.
Ward will be sentenced at a later date.
After the jury was dismissed, crown prosecutor Monika Knowles applied for Ward to be taken into custody.
The application was adjourned until Wednesday but Ward will be restrained by strict bail conditions until then.
He is required to report to police daily and notify officers when he is planning to move between his Sydney and South Coast homes.
Ward didn't speak as he walked out of Darlinghurst Courthouse on Friday afternoon - a stark contrast to his usual smile to waiting photographers.
His parliamentary position could become vacant as a result of the convictions, one of which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail.
The NSW Constitution states MPs will have their seat vacated if convicted of offences punishable with a term of more than five years' imprisonment.
But Ward still has time to lodge an appeal.
A NSW government spokesperson said the justice system had delivered a decisive outcome and Ward should resign from parliament immediately.
"Should Mr Ward refuse to resign, the government will take steps to protect the Legislative Assembly's integrity," the spokesperson said in a statement.
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he respected the verdict and commended the victims for their strength in coming forward.
"There is no excuse for the criminal behaviour which the jury has found occurred beyond reasonable doubt - a complete abuse of power which has no place anywhere, let alone by those entrusted by the public to represent them," he said in a statement.
Ward denied the allegations against him, claiming the incidents either didn't happen or didn't amount to sexual abuse.
But Ms Knowles said there were too many similarities between the accounts of the two complainants - who didn't know each other - to be a coincidence.
They were emotionally vulnerable and had been drinking when Ward invited them over, plied them with more drinks and sexually abused them without consent while they were lying down, she said.
"You might think what happened to (the complainants) did not happen by random chance or just dumb luck," Ms Knowles told the jury.
"Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence."
The evidence showed Ward had a tendency to act on his sexual interest in young men less powerful than him by committing sexual offences against them, the prosecutor argued.
"These people weren't overtaken by force, they were taken by surprise," Ms Knowles said.
Ward has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections under the Liberal banner before securing the 2023 poll as an independent.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Ridiculous': Premier demands disgraced MP's resignation
NSW Premier Chris Minns has demanded disgraced state MP Gareth Ward resign after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men. The premier told reporters on Monday it is "ridiculous" that the dumped Liberal-turned-independent for Kiama should stay as a sitting member, and that parliament must protect its integrity. "It is completely ... ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been, not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament," Mr Minns said. "You name one workplace in the whole world where that person would continue to be an employee facing that kind of jail time." Following a nine-week trial, Ward was found guilty last Friday of sexual intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in 2015, and three counts of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old man in 2013. The scandal-plagued MP vehemently denied the allegations since being charged in 2022. The maximum penalty for sexual intercourse without consent is 14 years' imprisonment. Ward was often seen smiling as he arrived and left court each day, but he left the precinct stone-faced and silent while being chased by the media scrum after the verdict. Within hours, his social media accounts were deactivated. Mr Minns said the government had received legal advice about the Legislative Assembly being able to remove Ward from parliament, even with an appeal pending. He said any action taken by NSW Parliament would not be punitive, but that it must protect its own integrity. Ward, the former minister for families, communities, and disability services, remains on bail and must report to police daily as part of his conditions. Prosecutors will apply to detain him in custody on Wednesday. Mr Minns said many constituents would question whether a convicted sex offender would continue in their role. "Many taxpayers, many voters, would say 'Are you really suggesting that someone who has been convicted of these incredibly serious charges continues on as a member of parliament even when they are in jail?" the premier said. He also praised the victims and said he didn't want their "enormous courage" to get lost in a "political bun fight" over Ward's future career. "If you speak to survivors of this kind of sexual assault, they will tell you that going through the process of reporting it to the police and then a criminal trial turns your life upside down all over again," the premier said. "That should not be forgotten in all this." Both men testified in court about their initial hesitation to come forward to police after grappling for years with self-blame and fear of Ward's power. Despite the convictions, some Kiama residents, including Lyn and John Gibson, expressed their continued support for Ward on Monday. Mrs Gibson said she would "vote for him (Ward) again tomorrow". "We've been very supportive of him," Mr Gibson said. Adam, who asked for his surname not to be published, said he "wasn't comfortable with someone with that sort of conviction representing the community". He believed if Ward didn't resign, it would add "insult to the injury" of the two victims. Lyn and John Brown, who were visiting Kiama from Wollongong, felt Ward should resign immediately. "I feel pleased he was convicted," Mrs Brown said. Kenneth Watson, who has previously handed out election pamphlets for Ward, said he was shocked by the verdict. "He's done a fantastic job as a local member, better than most politicians," Mr Watson said. A by-election will be triggered if a motion is put forward to expel Ward from parliament. The Minns Government and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman both issued statements last Friday calling for the MP to resign, signalling that a motion put forward by the premier is likely to be supported. A successful motion would take immediate effect and would need to be passed by the Legislative Assembly, rather than needing to pass both houses. Without an expulsion motion, Ward would not be automatically disqualified from being an MP until the appeals process has been exhausted. Ward will receive his sentence date on Wednesday. NSW Premier Chris Minns has demanded disgraced state MP Gareth Ward resign after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men. The premier told reporters on Monday it is "ridiculous" that the dumped Liberal-turned-independent for Kiama should stay as a sitting member, and that parliament must protect its integrity. "It is completely ... ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been, not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament," Mr Minns said. "You name one workplace in the whole world where that person would continue to be an employee facing that kind of jail time." Following a nine-week trial, Ward was found guilty last Friday of sexual intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in 2015, and three counts of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old man in 2013. The scandal-plagued MP vehemently denied the allegations since being charged in 2022. The maximum penalty for sexual intercourse without consent is 14 years' imprisonment. Ward was often seen smiling as he arrived and left court each day, but he left the precinct stone-faced and silent while being chased by the media scrum after the verdict. Within hours, his social media accounts were deactivated. Mr Minns said the government had received legal advice about the Legislative Assembly being able to remove Ward from parliament, even with an appeal pending. He said any action taken by NSW Parliament would not be punitive, but that it must protect its own integrity. Ward, the former minister for families, communities, and disability services, remains on bail and must report to police daily as part of his conditions. Prosecutors will apply to detain him in custody on Wednesday. Mr Minns said many constituents would question whether a convicted sex offender would continue in their role. "Many taxpayers, many voters, would say 'Are you really suggesting that someone who has been convicted of these incredibly serious charges continues on as a member of parliament even when they are in jail?" the premier said. He also praised the victims and said he didn't want their "enormous courage" to get lost in a "political bun fight" over Ward's future career. "If you speak to survivors of this kind of sexual assault, they will tell you that going through the process of reporting it to the police and then a criminal trial turns your life upside down all over again," the premier said. "That should not be forgotten in all this." Both men testified in court about their initial hesitation to come forward to police after grappling for years with self-blame and fear of Ward's power. Despite the convictions, some Kiama residents, including Lyn and John Gibson, expressed their continued support for Ward on Monday. Mrs Gibson said she would "vote for him (Ward) again tomorrow". "We've been very supportive of him," Mr Gibson said. Adam, who asked for his surname not to be published, said he "wasn't comfortable with someone with that sort of conviction representing the community". He believed if Ward didn't resign, it would add "insult to the injury" of the two victims. Lyn and John Brown, who were visiting Kiama from Wollongong, felt Ward should resign immediately. "I feel pleased he was convicted," Mrs Brown said. Kenneth Watson, who has previously handed out election pamphlets for Ward, said he was shocked by the verdict. "He's done a fantastic job as a local member, better than most politicians," Mr Watson said. A by-election will be triggered if a motion is put forward to expel Ward from parliament. The Minns Government and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman both issued statements last Friday calling for the MP to resign, signalling that a motion put forward by the premier is likely to be supported. A successful motion would take immediate effect and would need to be passed by the Legislative Assembly, rather than needing to pass both houses. Without an expulsion motion, Ward would not be automatically disqualified from being an MP until the appeals process has been exhausted. Ward will receive his sentence date on Wednesday. NSW Premier Chris Minns has demanded disgraced state MP Gareth Ward resign after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men. The premier told reporters on Monday it is "ridiculous" that the dumped Liberal-turned-independent for Kiama should stay as a sitting member, and that parliament must protect its integrity. "It is completely ... ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been, not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament," Mr Minns said. "You name one workplace in the whole world where that person would continue to be an employee facing that kind of jail time." Following a nine-week trial, Ward was found guilty last Friday of sexual intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in 2015, and three counts of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old man in 2013. The scandal-plagued MP vehemently denied the allegations since being charged in 2022. The maximum penalty for sexual intercourse without consent is 14 years' imprisonment. Ward was often seen smiling as he arrived and left court each day, but he left the precinct stone-faced and silent while being chased by the media scrum after the verdict. Within hours, his social media accounts were deactivated. Mr Minns said the government had received legal advice about the Legislative Assembly being able to remove Ward from parliament, even with an appeal pending. He said any action taken by NSW Parliament would not be punitive, but that it must protect its own integrity. Ward, the former minister for families, communities, and disability services, remains on bail and must report to police daily as part of his conditions. Prosecutors will apply to detain him in custody on Wednesday. Mr Minns said many constituents would question whether a convicted sex offender would continue in their role. "Many taxpayers, many voters, would say 'Are you really suggesting that someone who has been convicted of these incredibly serious charges continues on as a member of parliament even when they are in jail?" the premier said. He also praised the victims and said he didn't want their "enormous courage" to get lost in a "political bun fight" over Ward's future career. "If you speak to survivors of this kind of sexual assault, they will tell you that going through the process of reporting it to the police and then a criminal trial turns your life upside down all over again," the premier said. "That should not be forgotten in all this." Both men testified in court about their initial hesitation to come forward to police after grappling for years with self-blame and fear of Ward's power. Despite the convictions, some Kiama residents, including Lyn and John Gibson, expressed their continued support for Ward on Monday. Mrs Gibson said she would "vote for him (Ward) again tomorrow". "We've been very supportive of him," Mr Gibson said. Adam, who asked for his surname not to be published, said he "wasn't comfortable with someone with that sort of conviction representing the community". He believed if Ward didn't resign, it would add "insult to the injury" of the two victims. Lyn and John Brown, who were visiting Kiama from Wollongong, felt Ward should resign immediately. "I feel pleased he was convicted," Mrs Brown said. Kenneth Watson, who has previously handed out election pamphlets for Ward, said he was shocked by the verdict. "He's done a fantastic job as a local member, better than most politicians," Mr Watson said. A by-election will be triggered if a motion is put forward to expel Ward from parliament. The Minns Government and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman both issued statements last Friday calling for the MP to resign, signalling that a motion put forward by the premier is likely to be supported. A successful motion would take immediate effect and would need to be passed by the Legislative Assembly, rather than needing to pass both houses. Without an expulsion motion, Ward would not be automatically disqualified from being an MP until the appeals process has been exhausted. Ward will receive his sentence date on Wednesday. NSW Premier Chris Minns has demanded disgraced state MP Gareth Ward resign after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men. The premier told reporters on Monday it is "ridiculous" that the dumped Liberal-turned-independent for Kiama should stay as a sitting member, and that parliament must protect its integrity. "It is completely ... ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been, not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious sexual assault convictions and stay as a member of parliament," Mr Minns said. "You name one workplace in the whole world where that person would continue to be an employee facing that kind of jail time." Following a nine-week trial, Ward was found guilty last Friday of sexual intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in 2015, and three counts of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old man in 2013. The scandal-plagued MP vehemently denied the allegations since being charged in 2022. The maximum penalty for sexual intercourse without consent is 14 years' imprisonment. Ward was often seen smiling as he arrived and left court each day, but he left the precinct stone-faced and silent while being chased by the media scrum after the verdict. Within hours, his social media accounts were deactivated. Mr Minns said the government had received legal advice about the Legislative Assembly being able to remove Ward from parliament, even with an appeal pending. He said any action taken by NSW Parliament would not be punitive, but that it must protect its own integrity. Ward, the former minister for families, communities, and disability services, remains on bail and must report to police daily as part of his conditions. Prosecutors will apply to detain him in custody on Wednesday. Mr Minns said many constituents would question whether a convicted sex offender would continue in their role. "Many taxpayers, many voters, would say 'Are you really suggesting that someone who has been convicted of these incredibly serious charges continues on as a member of parliament even when they are in jail?" the premier said. He also praised the victims and said he didn't want their "enormous courage" to get lost in a "political bun fight" over Ward's future career. "If you speak to survivors of this kind of sexual assault, they will tell you that going through the process of reporting it to the police and then a criminal trial turns your life upside down all over again," the premier said. "That should not be forgotten in all this." Both men testified in court about their initial hesitation to come forward to police after grappling for years with self-blame and fear of Ward's power. Despite the convictions, some Kiama residents, including Lyn and John Gibson, expressed their continued support for Ward on Monday. Mrs Gibson said she would "vote for him (Ward) again tomorrow". "We've been very supportive of him," Mr Gibson said. Adam, who asked for his surname not to be published, said he "wasn't comfortable with someone with that sort of conviction representing the community". He believed if Ward didn't resign, it would add "insult to the injury" of the two victims. Lyn and John Brown, who were visiting Kiama from Wollongong, felt Ward should resign immediately. "I feel pleased he was convicted," Mrs Brown said. Kenneth Watson, who has previously handed out election pamphlets for Ward, said he was shocked by the verdict. "He's done a fantastic job as a local member, better than most politicians," Mr Watson said. A by-election will be triggered if a motion is put forward to expel Ward from parliament. The Minns Government and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman both issued statements last Friday calling for the MP to resign, signalling that a motion put forward by the premier is likely to be supported. A successful motion would take immediate effect and would need to be passed by the Legislative Assembly, rather than needing to pass both houses. Without an expulsion motion, Ward would not be automatically disqualified from being an MP until the appeals process has been exhausted. Ward will receive his sentence date on Wednesday.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Teacher ‘dared' girls to kiss: court
The final arguments in the trial of a music teacher accused of sexually abusing a teen girl have circled around a movie night kiss captured in a photo booth and a series of emotionally charged emails. Janelle Colville Fletcher, 40, is contesting allegations that she groomed and sexually abused the underage girl some years ago and appeared again on Monday at the South Australian District Court before Judge Joanne Fuller. The prosecution, led by Chris Allen, allege Ms Fletcher abused the girl in various locations and also that she communicated with her and another teenage girl to make them amenable to sexual activity. Some of the alleged offending happened when the two girls and Ms Fletcher were alone together in a room, the prosecution said, with the teacher allegedly performing a lap dance on a chair. She then allegedly 'dared' the two girls to kiss each other and asked if they would 'date' each other. That same night, Mr Allen said, Ms Fletcher then spent time alone with one of the girls and touched her genital area. The alleged grooming and abuse of the girl then went on for months at various locations, the prosecution said, including the home of Ms Fletcher and in Ms Fletcher's car. Janelle Fletcher is contesting the allegation that she sexually abused a teen girl. NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia Alongside oral evidence from the alleged victims, the prosecution presented a series of texts, emails and photographs to support its case, including a photo of Ms Fletcher and the girl kissing at a cinema photo booth. In his closing address, Mr Allen said the 'objective evidence' of the photo booth kiss showed an 'unlawful sexual act'. He argued further that the 'sheer volume' of photos of Ms Fletcher and the girl together suggested a sexual relationship. 'They look like girlfriends (in the photographs) … in a relationship between girlfriends,' Mr Allen said. In her testimony from last week, Ms Fletcher said the photo booth kiss was a 'pretend kiss' she did not want or mean to happen. 'It was meant to be a pretend kiss like we had done previously where our lips don't actually touch, and in that particular photo we got close and she did sort of pull me in and the photo went off, yeah,' Ms Fletcher said. There is dispute between the defence and prosecution about the correct sequence order of photos from the booth. The prosecution says the correct sequence runs from top to bottom in the order of one, two, three and then four. In 'photo 4', Ms Fletcher appears happy and the prosecution argues this shows she was happy to kiss the girl and not shocked or upset by it. Ms Fletcher and her defence team, led by Andrew Culshaw, claim that photo was taken before the kiss and should not be seen as approval of the act, with the correct sequence of photos running one, two, four and then three. Mr Culshaw also argued the photo did not show child sexual abuse because the girl had turned 17 at the time of the photo, and so she was therefore not a child when the kiss happened. The defence argued Ms Fletcher was also no longer in a position of authority at the time. 'What Your Honour has, in my submission, is evidence of a kiss at a time when it was legal,' Mr Culshaw said. The prosecution also argued that a series of emotionally expressive emails from Ms Fletcher to the girl revealed the 'true nature' of the relationship between them. In one email, Ms Fletcher told the girl 'I want something serious not something short term'. In others, she said 'my feelings for you are not lust but love' and 'right now, we can't be open. Right now we will have to continue as we are in secret …' Ms Fletcher holds a PhD in music education. NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia Ms Fletcher had earlier argued the emails showed non-sexual 'love' for the girl, but Mr Allen dismissed that argument on Monday as 'absurd'. 'This is not 'I love you' in some sort of Catholic way,' Mr Allen said. Mr Culshaw, in his closing address, acknowledged under questioning from Judge Fuller that the emails appeared 'terrible' on a first or literal reading in that they seemed to suggest the pair had been in a sexual relationship. But he argued a deeper reading of the emails fit with Ms Fletcher's testimony. She claimed last week that they were written to keep the girl happy and guide her away to a more age-appropriate relationship. 'These emails are consistent with a relatively young teacher, in her early 30s, who had got herself in too deep … and so was trying to deal with the situation and extricate herself from it,' Mr Culshaw said. Ms Fletcher holds a PhD in music education. She told the court that she was heterosexual and believed in the Catholic faith. She was still legally married to a man, though the pair had separated, she told the court. The judge-alone trial continues.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Ridiculous' for convicted Kiama MP Gareth Ward to stay on: NSW Premier Chris Minns
Kiama MP Gareth Ward could be booted from parliament as early as next week after he was convicted of assaulting two young men, with the state government preparing a motion to have him expelled. The former Liberal MP was found guilty of three counts of assault with act of indecency against an 18-year-old man at Meroo Meadow in 2013 by a jury on Friday. The jury also found the one-time families minister guilty of a fourth offence of intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015. It is understood the state government will move a motion when parliament resumes on Tuesday, August 5 to expel Ward. On Monday, Premier Chris Minns praised Ward's accusers as 'incredibly courageous people' and again called on the disgraced MP to resign from parliament. 'Firstly, he should resign,' Mr Minns said. 'It is completely ridiculous to be in a situation where someone has been not accused, not charged, but convicted of incredibly serious offences and stay as a member of parliament.' Mr Minns said the NSW Legislative Assembly needed to 'be in a position where it protects its integrity'. 'One of the positions it can take to protect its integrity is to say that if you've been convicted of these serious charges, it's not reasonable that member stay as a member of parliament,' he said. 'I haven't spoken to all of my colleagues, and I haven't spoken to the crossbench or the opposition about it, but it would seem ridiculous that he would continue as a member of parliament.' Mr Minns confirmed the parliament had the power to remove Ward but noted it was important that the Legislative Assembly's decision 'is not punitive'. 'The punitive measure is up to the NSW court. It's not up to parliament,' he said. 'They'll make the decision about what punishment is applied, not us.' Asked on Monday if he would support a motion to expel Ward from parliament if he did not resign, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he would. 'Subject to the government indicating its legal advice that the power is there, we would support that motion,' Mr Speakman said. 'And look, on the face of it, the power is there. But I would like to see the legal advice.' Both Labor and the Liberals have called on Ward to resign following Friday's verdict. 'Gareth Ward should not be in parliament,' Mr Speakman said. 'The jury finding is of behaviour that is completely reprehensible. It's sickening. 'He should not be in the parliament. His position is untenable. He cannot represent the constituents of Kiama. 'He obviously can't represent them when he's incarcerated, and even if he remains out of incarceration for the time being, there is no way he can effectively represent his constituents. 'So he must resign, and if he doesn't resign, then parliament has to take all the steps it can to protect its integrity, and if the power is there to expel Mr Ward, he should be expelled.' Neither Mr Minns nor Mr Speakman confirmed whether they were involved in discussions about preselecting candidates for a potential by-election. 'I'm sure there are conversations under way,' Mr Speakman said. He later went on to clarify: 'I'm just surmising the nature of politics these sort of conversations happen.' Ward only narrowly beat out Labor's Katelin McInerney in the 2023 state election. Ward is yet to be sentenced and will next appear in court on Wednesday.
