Hawkesbury mayor Sarah McMahon has AVO taken out against her by ex-partner

A Sydney mayor believed her estranged partner was having an affair when she allegedly let herself into his real estate agency under the cover of darkness and searched his computer, a court has heard.

Hawkesbury City Council Mayor Sarah McMahon in 2022.

Hawkesbury mayor Sarah McMahon believed her estranged partner was having an affair when she allegedly let herself into his real estate agency under the cover of darkness and searched his computer, a court has heard.

Police took out an apprehended violence order (AVO) on behalf of Ms McMahon’s ex-boyfriend, Hawkesbury property developer Matthew Bennett, after she was found at his business premises on the evening of July 14 following reports of a break-in.

Ms McMahon, a twice failed candidate for the federal seat of Macquarie who until recently was a NSW Liberal Party vice president, was discovered at the Richmond premises of BCM Property about 9.30pm by officers responding to reports of a break and enter at the premises.

According to AVO documents filed with Windsor Local Court on Thursday, Ms McMahon and Mr Bennett were in a domestic relationship for six years before splitting in December 2023.

Hawkesbury mayor Sarah McMahon.

However, the court heard the pair remained in an on/off relationship since then.

The documents said it is alleged Ms McMahon believed Mr Bennett was having an affair and was trying to locate him that evening so they could talk.

She allegedly went to his mother’s house, sister’s house and a friend’s house trying to find him, at one stage sending him a picture via WhatsApp of his sister’s house.

When she could not locate him, MsMcMahon went to the BCM office on Windsor Street in Richmond, where she let herself into the building via an unlocked side door.

Once inside, it is alleged she located Mr Bennett’s laptop and used it to search for evidence he was having affair.

She then took a photo of the laptop and sent it to Mr Bennett via WhatsApps, the court heard.

Mr Bennett immediately reviewed footage from CCTV cameras inside the premises and saw Ms McMahon in the building, prompting him to call police.

Officers arrived at the property and located Ms McMahon, who allegedly told them she had gone to the property looking for Mr Bennett and had accessed his laptop to look for evidence he was cheating on her.

Ms McMahon was arrested, put into the back of a police wagon and taken to Windsor Police Station.

According to court documents, Mr Bennett told police he did not want to give a statement about the matter because he “didn’t want to ruin [Ms McMahon’s] career”.

Ms McMahon was served with an interim apprehended domestic violence order (AVO), naming Mr Bennett as the protected person.

Ms McMahon has since served a cross claim AVO against Mr Bennett, which names her as the person in need of protection and him as the defendant.

Both matters were mentioned in Windsor Local Court on Thursday where a lawyer for Ms McMahon indicated the public servant and qualified solicitor will fight the making of a final order.