By Clare Sibthorpe and Megan Gorrey
Police have applied for apprehended domestic violence orders against Hawkesbury Mayor Sarah McMahon and her partner.
McMahon, who was a NSW Liberal Party vice president until recently, was the 2022 federal candidate for the country’s most marginal electorate.
Liberal Hawkesbury Mayor Sarah McMahon and her partner Matthew Bennett.Credit: Facebook
Her partner, Matthew Bennett, is the managing director of BCM Property Group.
According to NSW Police, officers were called to a property in Richmond, in Sydney’s north-west outskirts, about 9.30pm on Sunday, following reports of a break and enter.
“Officers from Hawkesbury Police Area Command attended and spoke with a 41-year-old woman,” their statement read.
“The woman was served with an interim apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO).”
Police declined to provide a statement regarding the alleged circumstances of the interim ADVO served against Bennett.
At Windsor Local Court on Thursday morning, McMahon’s lawyer successfully adjourned the application for an apprehended violence order until August 1, with the police-issued interim order to remain in place until then.
He said his client opposed the application being made against her.
Bennett’s application was set down for later in the day.
McMahon ran as the Liberal candidate for the knife-edge seat of Macquarie in the 2022 federal election.
The pair attracted attention after McMahon was investigated over allegations she told the NSW Electoral Commission she did not have close links to a property developer, despite Bennett’s role as co-owner of a company that promoted an “end-to-end” role in the property industry.
McMahon at the time described the probe as an “unfounded attack” from Labor, and said Bennett was a real estate agent.
The NSW Office of Local Government later determined Bennett did not meet the legislative definition of a property developer, and that McMahon, who was then known as Sarah Richards, did not breach the code of conduct for councillors.
Hawkesbury City Council has been contacted for comment.
More to come.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service (1800RESPECT) on 1800 737 732.
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