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Friend Testifies in Ward Trial That Complainant Feared Job Loss

The testimony underscored the challenges complainants face in reporting allegations against a politically influential figure.

Kiama MP Gareth Ward outside the Downing Centre on the first day of his trial on May 26. Picture by Anna Warr
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Overview

  • Court heard that in 2015 Ward allegedly attempted to kiss a 24-year-old staffer on his Potts Point balcony before digitally penetrating him after the man said no.
  • A friend and former housemate described the complainant as distressed and tearful, saying he feared losing his job because of Ward’s stature in the NSW Liberal Party.
  • Prosecutor Monika Knowles recounted a separate 2013 claim that Ward indecently assaulted an 18-year-old at his Meroo Meadow home.
  • Ward has pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault with an act of indecency, a common assault alternative, and intercourse without consent.
  • The trial began in May before Judge Kara Shead SC and a 15-person jury at the Downing Centre District Court and is now in its fourth week.