ABC journalist contacted about Kiama MP Gareth Ward allegations: court

An ABC journalist was contacted by a man who alleges Kiama MP Gareth Ward sexually abused him as a teenager and wanted to speak with him “on the DL”, 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.

Since his arrest three years ago, the 43-year-old has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Mr Ward attended the Darlinghurst District Court on Tuesday as his criminal trial before Judge Kara Shead SC continued for its seventh week.

Crown prosecutor Monika Knowles called an ABC journalist to the stand on Tuesday who said he had conversations about Mr Ward with the second complainant.

The alleged victim, a man, who had just turned 18 at the time of the alleged assault at Mr Ward’s South Coast home in February 2013, cannot be named for legal reasons.

The journalist told the court that he had previously met the complainant through mutual friends in the Illawarra region before later receiving a social media message from him in late 2020, prompted by a tweet about Mr Ward.

“From memory he saw the tweet then messaged me on Instagram about it,” the journalist told the court.

“It was … hey I’d like to talk to you about Gareth Ward on the DL if possible.”

The pair later met up, where the complainant disclosed the allegations to the journalist.

“He sort of stepped me through what he said happened,” he told the court.

“They drank some alcohol together and he said he was very intoxicated … he was laying on the grass and playing around at which point he alleged that Mr Ward touched him on the genitals.”

The man’s demeanour was “pretty sober” and “matter of fact” when discussing the allegations, the reporter told the court.

“I sensed that he was kind of processing it as well as he was talking about it … it didn’t seem like something he had spoken about a lot,” he said.

The man was “really unsure” what to do, the journalist said.

“It was still a bit unclear if he wanted to do a story … but given I was a journalist I think he wanted to at least talk about it.”

The reporter recommended the man report the matter to police, which he eventually did, and Mr Ward was formally charged in 2022.

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, which has been delayed several times since it first began in late May, continues.

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