Overview

• After a nine-week trial and 2½ days of deliberation, a jury unanimously found Ward guilty on three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse without consent
• The offences dated to February 2013 at his South Coast home and September 2015 at his Potts Point apartment, with both complainants intoxicated and aged 18 and 24 at the time
• Crown prosecutors have applied for a detention order and are seeking tougher bail conditions ahead of his sentencing later this year
• Ward has 28 days to lodge an appeal, and NSW constitutional rules provide for an MP’s seat to be vacated if convicted of crimes punishable by more than five years’ imprisonment
• The conviction of a sitting MP underscores how power imbalances and delayed reporting can hinder accountability for public officials