A man who has accused New South Wales MP Gareth Ward of sexually assaulting him reportedly told a parliamentary staffer years after the alleged incident that the politician had “done something” to him, the NSW District Court has heard.
Now in the third week of the trial, a witness—whose identity is protected—testified that he visited the complainant approximately two years after the alleged assault. He described the man as “very emotional, very distraught” during their conversation.
The complainant, who was 24 at the time of the alleged assault in 2015, reportedly said Mr Ward had “done something” to him during their meeting at the MP’s Potts Point apartment. The court did not hear specifics of the alleged conduct during this testimony.
Earlier in the trial, it was alleged that Mr Ward had non-consensually digitally penetrated the complainant after the pair had attended an event at the state parliament. Mr Ward has pleaded not guilty to the charge of sexual intercourse without consent.
He has also denied four additional charges, including indecent assault, relating to a separate complainant who was 18 years old at the time of the alleged 2013 incident.
‘He Looked Visibly Upset’
Under prosecution questioning, the witness said the complainant shared that he avoided coming to Parliament because he was uncomfortable being near Mr Ward.
“I can remember he looked like he had been crying — he looked visibly upset, and then when we started talking, he got more upset,” the witness said.
He admitted he was surprised by his own lack of action following the disclosure and said he later reflected on why he didn’t respond more decisively.
“I don’t know why — it’s like I just blocked it out of my mind,” he told the court.
The witness added that his recollection of the conversation became clearer when he was later asked by police to provide a formal statement after the allegations against Mr Ward became public.
The trial remains ongoing.
Support Services for Sexual Assault:
- 1800 Respect (National Helpline): 1800 737 732
- Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491
- Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14
- Victims of Crime Helpline: 1800 819 817
