NSW Minister for Families Gareth Ward picked up sleepwalking by police
Neighbours of Gareth Ward say they were scared and anxious when they saw the NSW Families Minister “butt naked” and banging on an apartment door near their homes. Mr Ward was twice escorted home by police on Thursday morning.
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NSW Minister for Families Gareth Ward was twice escorted home by police on Thursday morning after being found sleepwalking naked.
The Daily Telegraph has been told the minister was just home from a medical procedure relating to his kidneys at St Vincent’s hospital when the sleepwalking incident happened last night.
It is understood the minister has been admitted to hospital twice this week with kidney pain culminating in a laser procedure.
“Officers from Kings Cross Police Area Command attended a short time later, locating a naked man standing in the doorway of another unit, and after determining that was his residence, escorted him inside,” police said in a statement.
“Police were called to the unit block again about 12.30am (Thursday 12 March 2020), following report the man was walking around the common areas of the building in his underpants.”
In both instances, police returned Mr Ward to his residence and asked if he required medical assistance. He declined both times.
It is believed he had been administered morphine by the hospital during the course of the week for the pain.
Mr Ward issued a public statement on the incident.
“On Tuesday I was admitted to hospital for the second time in a week, and as a result, yesterday I was placed under general anaesthetic for a procedure,” the statement read.
“Last night I became disorientated while at home. I would like to thank emergency services for returning me to my residence safely.”
Mr Ward told The Daily Telegraph he didn’t remember the events.
This was to explain why he initially told some people he was clothed when he was sleepwalking, but police stated he was naked.
“I don’t remember anything,” Mr Ward said.
“This is a purely medical matter.
“I had a general anaesthetic. I was fine after the operation but when you go to sleep these things hit.”
Asked directly if he had taken drugs, he said only morphine.
Police returned to Mr Ward’s home on Friday morning to make sure he was all right and recommend he consult with a GP.
Neighbour Aparna Stone was alarmed to hear “loud banging” at her apartment door above Mr Ward’s in the three-storey apartment block
they share at around 11pm last night. “I was really scared, there was this naked man banging at our door, my husband went to see what was happening and I could see through the
peep hole a swaying, naked, man shouting ‘it’s me, let me in let me in’,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“My husband was like ‘this man is butt naked’, he wouldn’t go away so we had to call the police. I’m glad I didn’t see him fully naked.
“We were worried because he was yelling loudly, we have a young child and were anxious.” She said police came and settled him into his basement apartment and returned to reassure them he had mixed alcohol with hospital medication.
Several hours later Ward was seen outside on the steps of his apartment block buzzing 13 flats to get back inside.
Police are believed to have returned the second time and guided him back into his flat. One neighbour said “it was effing annoying. He was just buzzing everyone so I looked out of the window and told him to ‘shut the f**k up.’” Mrs Aparna added: “He was making so much noise for several hours, but I hope he’s OK. “Police told us he had mixed mediation and alcohol and was disoriented and there was no need for us to worry.”
Neighbour Matt Forrester said he was woken around 1am by frantic buzzing at the doorbell of his top floor apartment.
“I went downstairs to let him in and he barged past me reeking of alcohol, “he said.
“The man had shorts on, they were pale blue, and they were gaping open, I don’t know what he was doing before I found him. Mr Forrester said he thought the man was “drunk as a skunk”. “I don’t know what he thought he was doing but none of what he did last night was okay, I’ve come home early from work to confront him. “A lot of expletive was shared between us that night.”
A spokesperson for Mr Ward said he wouldn’t comment on allegations he was drunk.