Latest news with #politicalstaffer
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Political staffer says he still respected Gareth Ward professionally after alleged 2015 rape
A political staffer has told a Sydney court he embellished a glowing email he wrote to a state MP who allegedly sexually assaulted him years earlier. The Kiama MP, Gareth Ward, 44, is on trial in the New South Wales district court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges. The jury has heard Ward approached a young, drunk political staffer after a midweek event at NSW Parliament House in 2015 and offered him a place to stay for the night. The man, who was 24 at the time but is now in his 30s, alleges Ward climbed into bed with him, groped his backside and sexually assaulted him despite him repeatedly saying no. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email During his third day of cross-examination on Tuesday, the alleged victim was asked about an email he wrote to Ward in March 2019, congratulating him on his appointment as minister for families. 'Your friendship means the world to me and my respect for you is already as high as it can be,' the man wrote to Ward. He told the jury he sent the email in the hope of securing a job in politics at a time when he was worried about his career prospects. He said he had embellished and fibbed about appreciating Ward's friendship. The complainant maintained that the email was not inconsistent with his claims he had been sexually assaulted by Ward, whom he continued to hold in professional esteem. 'I respect Mr Ward immensely,' the alleged victim told the jury. 'He is an incredible local member and he has done some incredible work as a minister.' When asked if he had told another political staffer that the then NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, had chosen a 'rapist' for her cabinet, the complainant said he couldn't recall the conversation but the words were consistent with what he had reported. He said he had not tell anyone about the alleged sexual assault before 2019 because it was 'incredibly embarrassing' and 'not something I would bring up in conversation'. The jury had previously heard the man had felt 'dirty' and 'confused', and he asked himself whether he had invited what he said were unwanted advances. Ward is also accused of indecently assaulting an intoxicated 18-year-old in 2013 at his south coast home after meeting the man at a networking event a year earlier. The man claims the MP fondled his buttocks and scrotum, and gave him an unwelcome back massage despite his repeated requests to stop. Ward, who was charged over the alleged assaults in 2022, is fighting the allegations in a trial set down for four weeks. He has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections as a Liberal before securing the seat in 2023 as an independent.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Read the email political staffer sent to politician who allegedly sexually assualted him years earlier
A political staffer has admitted embellishing a glowing email he wrote to a state MP who allegedly sexually assaulted him years earlier. Kiama MP Gareth Ward, 44, is on trial in the NSW District Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges. The jury was told he approached a young, drunk political staffer after a mid-week event at NSW Parliament House in 2015 and offered him a place to stay for the night. 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'. During his third day of cross-examination on Tuesday, he was asked about an email he wrote to Ward in March 2019, congratulating him on his appointment as minister for families. 'Your friendship means the world to me and my respect for you is already as high as it can be,' the complainant wrote to Ward. He told the jury he sent the email in the hopes of securing a job in politics at a time when he was worried about his career prospects, so he embellished and fibbed about appreciating Ward's friendship. The complainant maintained the email was not inconsistent with his claims he had been sexually assaulted by Ward, whom he continues to hold in professional esteem. 'I respect Mr Ward immensely. He is an incredible local member and he has done some incredible work as a minister,' the alleged victim said. When asked if he told another political staffer that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had chosen a 'rapist' for her cabinet, the complainant said he couldn't recall the conversation but the words were consistent with what he has reported. He said he didn't tell anyone about the alleged sexual assault before 2019 because it was 'incredibly embarrassing' and 'not something I would bring up in conversation.' The jury was told the man was left feeling 'dirty' and 'confused' after the painful assault and he continued to ask himself whether he had invited the unwanted advances. Ward is also accused of indecently assaulting an intoxicated 18-year-old in 2013 at his South Coast home after meeting the man at a networking event a year earlier. The man claims the MP fondled his buttocks and scrotum, and gave him an unwelcome back massage despite his repeated requests to stop. Ward, who was charged over the alleged assaults in 2022, is fighting the allegations in a four-week trial. He has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections as a Liberal before securing the 2023 poll as an independent.
The Guardian
29-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Man allegedly raped by Gareth Ward quizzed on route he took to NSW MP's house
A political staffer has accepted he could be confused about his movements before and after he was allegedly sexually assaulted by a state MP who invited him to his house. Kiama MP Gareth Ward, 44, is on trial in the New South Wales district court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges. The jury was told he approached a young, drunk political staffer after a mid-week event at the NSW Parliament House in 2015 and offered him a place to stay for the night. The political staffer – who cannot be named - told the jury on Thursday that taking a taxi home after the event would have incurred a fare of around $110. He said he accepted Ward's offer to stay at his Potts Point apartment, where the politician poured him drinks and allegedly tried to kiss him before climbing into bed with him. The complainant, aged 24 at the time and now in his 30s, became emotional on Wednesday while alleging Ward had groped his backside and sexually assaulted him despite him repeatedly saying 'no' and attempting to move away. The jury was shown a video of the staffer taking police officers along the routes he believed he walked with Ward on the night of the alleged sexual assault and the next morning. In the footage, he pointed out a building which he told police he was 'certain' contained Ward's apartment because of the views of Sydney Harbour. The staffer said he remembered taking two different paths when walking to and from the apartment, but conceded he couldn't be precise because he had been intoxicated on the night. Under cross-examination by Ward's barrister, he accepted he could have been confused about the way he travelled as opposed to remembering two distinct routes. The staffer told police in his initial statement in 2021 that he couldn't remember what streets they took to get to the apartment, but he said his memory had since been jogged by retracing his steps. In the video, he told police he remembered walking down steep stairs in the morning while walking back to the city with Ward. But there was no mention of the stairs in his initial police statement, the court was told. The political staffer said on Wednesday he was left feeling 'dirty' and 'confused' after the incident, and asked himself whether he had done something to invite the unwanted advances. Ward is also accused of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old in 2013 after meeting the man at a networking event on NSW's south coast a year earlier. The man claims the MP fondled his buttocks and scrotum, and gave him an unwanted back massage despite his repeated requests to stop. Ward, who was charged over the alleged assaults in 2022, contests the allegations and his lawyers are expected to address jurors later in the trial. He has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections as a Liberal before securing the 2023 poll as an independent.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Politician allegedly sexually assaulted man after event at Parliament House: 'I felt dirty and confused'
A political staffer feared reporting his alleged sexual assault by a then-state minister wouldn't be taken seriously and would hinder his career, a jury has heard. Kiama MP Gareth Ward, 44, is on trial in the NSW District Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges. Jurors on Wednesday heard he approached a young, drunk political staffer after a mid-week event at the NSW Parliament House in 2015 and offered him a place to stay for the night. The staffer said Ward had poured him drinks and tried to kiss him at his Potts Point apartment before climbing into bed with him. The complainant, now aged in his 30s, became emotional as he recounted moving away from Ward and telling him 'no' when the politician 'groped' his backside and sexually assaulted him. 'I at no stage said yes or gave him any indication that I was pleased with what was going on,' he said. During the painful assault, the alleged victim said he felt Ward moving next to him and heard him grunting before making a 'relieved kind of groan'. The political staffer later noticed a sticky substance on the bed and his rear. 'I felt down but also a little dirty and confused,' the complainant said. 'I recalled saying no and I was thinking 'had I not verbalised no as loudly as I should have?' He also told the court he put a hand between him and Ward when the MP tried to kissed him shortly after arriving at the unit. Two minutes after the rejection, Ward tried again and the complainant 'just went along with it' because he 'thought he just wanted a kiss and it would end there'. The morning after the alleged sexual assault, the pair walked to Parliament House together. Ward continued to praise the young man's 'bright future', the alleged victim said. 'At one stage he said if I stick by him, he'll take care of me,' he said. He told the jury he was plagued by self-doubt after the sexual assault and hadn't reported it to police because he was worried he would be humiliated. 'I didn't think it was going to be taken seriously,' he said during the emotional testimony. 'Because it wasn't rape and what I thought rape was … I didn't realise how serious it was and how much it impacted me until people started talking to me about it.' At the time of the assault, he said he didn't want to cause problems for Ward, to whom he felt a 'strange sense of obligation'. 'He was the minister responsible for child safety. Any kind of allegation like this, unless I was confident in the process, was just going to be humiliation,' the complainant told the jury. 'I just thought it was a bad night. I just thought he'd made a mistake.' He eventually reported the matter to police in 2021. The staffer explained he was also worried the sexual assault had damaged his career prospects. He said job security in politics was limited and he didn't want any pressure placed on his employer to fire him, so he had tried to pretend he wasn't upset with Ward. The jury heard he drafted an email to his superiors about the assault but he didn't send it because he didn't know who to send it to and he was concerned it would be circulated. When the staffer confided in an acquaintance, she told him he 'wasn't alone' and she knew of someone who allegedly had a similar experience with Ward. Ward is also accused of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old in 2013 after meeting the man at a networking event on NSW's south coast a year earlier. The man claims Ward fondled his buttocks and scrotum, and gave him an unwanted back massage despite his repeated requests to stop. The MP, who was charged over the alleged assaults in 2022, denies the allegations and his lawyers are expected to address jurors later in the trial. Ward has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections as a Liberal before securing the 2023 poll as an independent. The trial continues on Thursday.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Emotional scenes in court as political staffer recalls his fears over alleged rape by high profile politician
A political staffer feared reporting his alleged sexual assault by a then-state minister wouldn't be taken seriously and would hinder his career, a jury has heard. Kiama MP Gareth Ward, 44, is on trial in the NSW District Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges. Jurors on Wednesday heard he approached a young, drunk political staffer after a mid-week event at the NSW Parliament House in 2015 and offered him a place to stay for the night. The staffer said Ward had poured him drinks and tried to kiss him at his Potts Point apartment before climbing into bed with him. The complainant, now aged in his 30s, became emotional as he recounted moving away from Ward and telling him 'no' when the politician 'groped' his backside and sexually assaulted him. 'I at no stage said yes or gave him any indication that I was pleased with what was going on,' he said. During the painful assault, the alleged victim said he felt Ward moving next to him and heard him grunting before making a 'relieved kind of groan'. The political staffer later noticed a sticky substance on the bed and his rear. He told the jury he was plagued by self-doubt after the sexual assault and hadn't reported it to police because he was worried he would be humiliated. 'I didn't think it was going to be taken seriously,' he said during the emotional testimony. 'Because it wasn't rape and what I thought rape was ... I didn't realise how serious it was and how much it impacted me until people started talking to me about it.' At the time of the assault, he said he didn't want to cause problems for Ward, to whom he felt a 'strange sense of obligation'. 'He was the minister responsible for child safety. Any kind of allegation like this, unless I was confident in the process, was just going to be humiliation,' the complainant told the jury. 'I just thought it was a bad night. I just thought he'd made a mistake.' He eventually reported the matter to police in 2021. The staffer explained he was also worried the sexual assault had damaged his career prospects. He said job security in politics was limited and he didn't want any pressure placed on his employer to fire him, so he had tried to pretend he wasn't upset with Ward. The jury heard he drafted an email to his superiors about the assault but he didn't send it because he didn't know who to send it to and he was concerned it would be circulated. When the staffer confided in an acquaintance, she told him he 'wasn't alone' and she knew of someone who allegedly had a similar experience with Ward. Ward is also accused of indecently assaulting an 18-year-old in 2013 after meeting the man at a networking event on NSW's south coast a year earlier. The man claims Ward fondled his buttocks and scrotum, and gave him an unwanted back massage despite his repeated requests to stop. The MP, who was charged over the alleged assaults in 2022, denies the allegations and his lawyers are expected to address jurors later in the trial. Ward has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections as a Liberal before securing the 2023 poll as an independent. The trial continues on Thursday.
