New claims in Kiama MP Gareth Ward’s sexual assault trial

A man who alleges he was sexually abused as a teenager by NSW MP Gareth Ward has likened his appointment to ministry as “like a vampire running the blood bank”.

A man who alleges he was sexually abused as a teenager by Kiama MP Gareth Ward said he felt the MP being appointed as the Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services was “like a vampire running the blood bank”, a court has been told.

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 has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Mr Ward sat in the dock at the Darlinghurst District Court on Wednesday as his criminal trial before Judge Kara Shead SC continued, now in its fifth week.

Gareth Ward is claimed to have told a teenager whom he allegedly sexually abused that it ‘wasn’t safe’ for him to sleep alone. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

The second complainant, a man who had just turned 18 at the time of the alleged assault at Mr Ward’s South Coast home in February 2013, took the stand on Wednesday for a second day of evidence.

The court was told how Mr Ward had met the alleged victim three months prior in Bomaderry, where they became friends.

The court was told that on the night of the alleged assault, the complainant had been at a party in the Shoalhaven area before leaving and getting in contact with Mr Ward, who invited him to his Meroo Meadow home and offered to pay for his taxi ride.

It was heard the then-18-year-old and Mr Ward continued drinking together at his home, before the teen went outside and laid on the grass, pretending he had passed out as a “prank”.

“I could hear that he started running towards me, and I sort of thought, ‘This prank is going well … got him’,” he told the court.

The man alleged Mr Ward was trying to get his attention and put both hands on him, then without warning put his hand down his pants and touched his buttocks.

He told the court he “froze” and alleged he remembered Mr Ward’s “heavy breathing” as the politician moved his hand to the then-teenager’s genital area.

“I had no idea what to do or what to say … it was the most awkward feeling I’ve ever experienced to this day,” he said.

The man said he then told Mr Ward he wanted to go to sleep and the pair went back inside, with the politician allegedly telling him he should not sleep alone.

Gareth Ward allegedly told the young man that he had done “some kind of massage training” while on top of him. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

“He put his hands on my shoulders … and said something to the effect of I should sleep in his room because it wasn’t safe for me to sleep alone because I was too drunk,” he said.

Mr Ward allegedly directed the man towards his bedroom, where he laid down facedown on the bed.

The alleged victim told the court Mr Ward “mounted” him and sat on his buttocks, then started to massage his back.

“He said words to the effect of, ‘No relax … I’ll give you a massage, I’ve done a course in massage’ or something like that … he said he had some kind of massage training,” he told the court.

“He was massaging my back … especially my lower back … at this time Gareth weighed a far bit … he was heavy on top of me … I couldn’t move.”

The man told the court the massage eventually ended and they went to sleep.

Man told alleged assault was ‘funny’

The man told the court that in the months following the alleged assault he felt he needed to put the night “aside” and the whole thing was “his fault”.

“I very quickly decided that it was a weird thing that happened that was probably my fault and I just needed to put it aside,” he said.

“I needed to put that in the back of my mind and pretend it never happened and go on with being Gareth’s bro.”

The man said he had discussions with his friend who thought what had happened was “funny”.

“He sort of said something to the effect of that was obviously going to happen and he was saying that I must be gay for having wanted to go there,” he said.

‘A vampire was running the blood bank’

The man told the court that in 2020 he learnt Mr Ward had been appointed as the Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services.

“I felt it was inappropriate that he held that role,” he said.

“I felt as though … it was like a vampire was running the blood bank.

“I was very scared of what that would involve.”

The man added however, that he was “scared” to report the matter to police, because of how “powerful” Mr Ward was.

The man had told the court in the years that followed the alleged assault, he began using drugs and drinking regularly, before making the decision in 2018 to get sober.

He had “put that night” to the “back of his mind” he told the court, however, eventually came to the view that his friendship with Gareth had taken “a toll” on him.

“When I was digging into why I drank so much and why I wanted to escape so badly … I couldn’t properly do that without looking at that component of time in which I’d spent years in this friendship with Gareth,” he said

“There was a real sense of cognitive dissonance, knowing what had happened between us but outwardly saying very positive things about Gareth and that took a toll.”

The man said he believed this was “one of the contributing factors” to his drug use.

His evidence is expected to continue on Thursday morning.

The man said he and Mr Ward maintained contact on a “social level”, before the alleged acts were reported to police in November 2020.

It is also alleged Mr Ward sexually assaulted another man – who was 24 years old at the time – at his Potts Point apartment in September 2015.

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.

Originally published as New claims in Kiama MP Gareth Ward’s sexual assault trial