Sex predator Paul Wardell jailed for 14 years for abusing Shania Madden and Ashley Whiting

The Gloucester horse trainer, breeder, stockman and show judge Paul Wardell will spend at least nine years behind bars after being convicted of 23 offences.

Disgraced former horse trainer and breeder Paul Anthony Wardell will spend at least nine years behind bars after being sentenced for abusing two teenage girls in his care.

Wardell, the 68-year-old stockman who had trained countless teenagers on his prized horse stud just outside of Gloucester, was given a maximum of 14 years’ jail when he was sentenced in Grafton District Court on Friday

Wardell had spent decades with a revered reputation among Australia’s horse fraternities, was a sought-after instructor to budding young riders and a highly-acclaimed judge at the country’s biggest shows.

Gloucester stockman and horse trainer Paul Anthony Wardell has been convicted of sexually abusing two teenage girls under his authority. Photo: Facebook

But behind the scenes he was a sexual predator, using a power imbalance over his young employees to sexually abuse them over periods of years.

A jury found him guilty of 23 charges in September relating to two young women – four counts of aggravated indecent assault on one victim and 13 counts of aggravated sexual assault and six counts of aggravated indecent assault on another.

Shania Madden (left) and Ashley Whiting outside Coffs Harbour District Court. Both were abused by Gloucester stockman Paul Anthony Wardell. Photo: Jasmine Minhas

His victims, Ashley Whiting and Shania Madden, were widely supported when they publicly outed themselves earlier this month by allowing The Newcastle News to identify them in court proceedings.

The pair had confronted Wardell at his sentencing hearing at Coffs Harbour, both courageously reading out victim impact statements detailing, in horrific detail, the impact his offending had had on them.

Both victims listened in on Friday’s judgment, as did Wardell from Clarence Correctional Centre in Grafton.

Gloucester stockman and horse trainer Paul Anthony Wardell has been sentenced to 14 years’ jail for abusing two teenage girls in his care. Photo: Facebook

Wardell, wearing prison greens, only offered a slight shake of the head as the judgment was read.

In handing down his sentence, Judge Jonathon Priestley said Wardell had abused both young women over years – Ashley Whiting between 2012 and 2014 and Shania Madden between 2017 and 2018.

Some of the offending occurred in a horse float while they were away at shows and events while Wardell had also preyed on Shania in a unit near Wardell’s homestead.

Paul Anthony Wardell. Photo: Facebook

“The victims were young women, eager to pursue careers in the horse industry and the offender was a well established figure in that industry,’’ Judge Priestley said.

“The victims were under his authority, and often without company other than himself.

“The age of the victims when they first came into contact with the offender shows that they were young people, and based on their background, with little worldly experience.

“The victims were, as a result, vulnerable to the unlawful acts of the offender.’’