Convicted sex offender Gareth Ward has confirmed he is seeking to appeal his conviction a week after being found guilty of sexually assaulting two young men. The MP for Kiama released a statement on Friday afternoon saying he was 'absolutely shattered' with the trial result and had been spending time with family.
Ward stated he has provided instructions to his legal team to prepare an appeal at the earliest opportunity. He has made no mention of resigning despite calls from political leaders on both sides to do so.
The 44-year-old was convicted of three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse without consent, serious offences that carry the likelihood of a full-time custodial sentence. On Wednesday, Ward was taken into custody after a District Court judge granted a prosecution application to revoke his bail ahead of sentencing set for September 19.
The NSW government is expected to pass a motion to expel Ward from parliament when it resumes on Tuesday. If the expulsion goes ahead, a by-election for the NSW south coast seat of Kiama could be called in as little as eight weeks.
