Man told he was ‘exaggerating' after allegedly being sexually assaulted by Kiama MP Gareth Ward
A parliamentary associate who alleges Kiama MP Gareth Ward sexually abused him was allegedly told he was 'exaggerating' when coming forward to another staffer.
The NSW independent MP was charged in March 2022 with three counts of assault with act of indecency, an alternative charge of common assault against an 18-year-old man at Meroo Meadow in 2013, and intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Mr Ward arrived at the Downing Centre District Court on Friday and sat in the docks for the third week of the criminal trial before Judge Kara Shead SC.
A parliamentary associate who worked with the complainant, who was 24 at the time of the alleged assault, took the stand to give evidence.
The staffer said the complainant, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had told him years after the alleged rape that Mr Ward had 'done something' to him.
'I still can't remember the full detail of the conversation but I remember the emotion of the conversation,' the man told the court.
The man said the complainant was 'emotional' during their conversation, but he believed that he was 'exaggerating'.
'I remember saying that I felt that whatever it was that (the complainant) was saying that he was exaggerating what he was saying, but I can't recall more details than that,' he said.
'I can remember that being my immediate reaction to it … and I remember being dismissive of what he was saying.'
The witness added that he 'didn't know' why he didn't take any action after the conversation, only that he had 'blocked the whole thing' out of his memory.
The witness was then quizzed in cross-examination by solicitor Edward Anderson about the details of an event at Parliament House on the night of the alleged rape.
The man told the court that he couldn't remember a lot of specific details and exactly who he saw on the night but explained that 'everything that could go wrong' at the event 'went wrong'.
His cross-examination is expected to continue on Friday afternoon.
In court on Wednesday, the alleged victim told the court that he was 'concerned' that making a report to police would 'cause problems for Mr Ward'.
'I believe Mr Ward is an incredible local member … just because he did these things to me does not mean he is a bad person,' the man said.
He had earlier told the court that he attended an event on the night of the alleged assault at NSW Parliament House in 2015 before heading back to Mr Ward's apartment.
There, the MP poured the man a drink before allegedly attempting to kiss the man on Mr Ward's balcony, to which the political staffer pushed him away and said 'no'.
Mr Ward leaned in again a short time later and kissed the man before the 24-year-old said he wanted to go to bed, the court was told.
The Crown alleges the man was shown to his room by Mr Ward, who had allegedly stripped down to his boxers. Mr Ward allegedly put an arm over the man and his hands on the man's buttocks before he was told to stop.
Without warning, it's alleged Mr Ward digitally penetrated the man before kissing his neck and masturbating.
The two maintained a professional relationship for some time after the alleged events, the court was told.
The man made a formal statement years later to police, and Mr Ward was formally charged in March 2022.
In her opening address two weeks ago, Crown prosecutor Monika Knowles alleged that Mr Ward indecently assaulted another man, who had just turned 18, at his home on the South Coast in February 2013.
Beginning his political career in 2011, Mr Ward was a councillor on the Shoalhaven Council before becoming the Liberal member for Kiama in 2011, a seat he has held since.
The trial before a 15-person jury continues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Horror moment Brisbane bus driver is attacked by passenger
Disturbing footage has captured the moment a Brisbane bus driver was brutally attacked by a passenger. Footage captured the moment a bus driver was repeatedly punched by a man on a busy bus. The video, shared to social media overnight, shows a man appearing to briefly get off the bus before going back to land a final punch. A Queensland Police spokesperson told NewsWire an incident on a bus shortly after 6pm on Friday night in Southbank was being investigated. The matter was reported to police on Saturday afternoon, the spokesperson said. No charges have been laid over the incident. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner called the incident 'deeply disturbing' in a post to social media on Saturday afternoon. 'No one deserves to face violence in their workplace, especially from a single individual whose reckless actions endangered the safety of everyone on board,' Mr Schrinner wrote. 'My thoughts are with the bus driver who was subjected to this appalling and completely unacceptable attack while simply doing his job.' Mr Schrinner added Brisbane was a 'friendly city' where everyone deserved to feel safe. 'While we have strong safety protections for our bus drivers, we shouldn't need them which is why we continue to stand up for Brisbane against crime to keep our community safe,' he said. The video was circulated across social media over the weekend, with many labelling the conduct 'unacceptable'. 'No one helps him … feeling really bad after seeing this video,' one person commented. 'Bloody disgrace. Get in there and help him,' another said.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Man dies after alleged Footscray assault, as police consider upgrading charges
Police will consider alternate charges against a former high court immigration detainee, after the victim of an alleged assault in Melbourne's inner west died in hospital. Dominic O'Brien, 62, died on Saturday morning, almost a week after he was allegedly attacked at the intersection of Nicholson and Paisley streets in Footscray on the morning of June 15. Police arrested 43-year-old man Lominja Friday Yokoju on the same day as the alleged assault and initially charged him with intentionally causing serious injury. He is accused of approaching Mr O'Brien, engaging in a brief conversation, then striking him and stomping on his head as he lay on the ground. In light of Mr O'Brien's death, police are expected to review the charges. 'Investigators will consider alternate charges following the results of a post-mortem,' Victoria police said in a statement. Mr Yokoju was part of a group of more than 200 immigration detainees, known as the NZYQ cohort, who were released from long-term detention after the High Court ruled their ongoing detention was unconstitutional where there was no reasonable prospect of removing them to another country. At the time of his arrest, Mr Yokoju was understood to be on a bridging visa.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Brisbane households slugged with $50 green waste bin fee – even if they don't want one
Households in a major city are set to be slugged with an extra $50 waste levy as the council announces a major rollout as part of its annual budget to help skirt the state government's 'bin tax'. From August, Brisbane City Council will introduce the Universal Waste Charge, an opt-out green waste program for about 170,000 stand-alone households that will replace the Waste Utility Charge and scrap existing surcharges. Instead, residents will be charged a flat annual universal waste fee of $512.96 – whether they use the new green waste bin or not. This is an increase of about $50 per year, with the rollout expected to take place between August and December. Residents who already paid for a green waste bin will not have to cop the fee. However, those who do not want the bin will still have to pay the extra fee. 'Other households will pay an extra $49.52 a year, with $33 of this increase related to the waste levy introduced by the former Labor state government,' a council statement read. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the change was part of a 'large-scale tax-avoidance scheme' that would help the council dodge the state government's 'bin tax'. He said the introduction of the green bins would help reduce strain on growing landfills. 'One of the things this does is it helps us avoid the state government's bin tax,' he said per The Brisbane Times. 'Every year there's a tax that increases on waste going to landfill. 'At the moment, for example, our green waste recycling program saves about $1.6m a year in state government taxes. 'We're running a large-scale tax avoidance scheme because I don't want anyone to have to pay the state government's bin tax.' The state government levy was introduced in 2019 and charges the council about $115 per tonne of waste in the landfill. It is expected to increase by $10 every year until 2028. Mr Schrinner argued the recently announced annual fee would help save between $2m and $3m within the first year of the scheme. In the span of five years, Brisbane City Council estimates it will save approximately $32m. 'Every house will get a green bin, and that will be part of the business-as-usual service,' he said per The Brisbane Times. 'The reason we're doing that is because of the state government's bin tax … that effectively forces ever-increasing costs onto councils.'
