Two men who claim they were assaulted by a state MP should be believed based on the many similarities between their accounts, a jury has been told.
He is accused of inviting a drunk 18-year-old man, who was 17 when they met, to his South Coast home in February 2013.
The man told the jury Ward plied him with drinks before indecently assaulting him three times in one night, despite his attempts to resist.
Two years later, the long-time MP allegedly sexually assaulted an intoxicated political staffer after a mid-week event at NSW Parliament House in 2015.
The man, who was 24 at the time, said Ward climbed into bed with him, groped his backside, and sexually assaulted him despite him repeatedly saying “no”.
Crown prosecutor Monika Knowles told the jury there were “too many similarities” in the accounts of the complainants for it to be chance.
The men didn’t know each other, but both described their relationship with Ward as “very unequal in terms of the power dynamic”, she said today.
During the trial, both complainants described looking up to Ward and appreciating his contributions as a politician.
The jury heard they were both emotionally vulnerable and had been drinking when Ward invited them back to his house, where they were alone.
When they arrived, each man described the MP pouring drinks and encouraging their consumption before he assaulted them while they were lying down in a vulnerable state.
There had been no discussion of sexual activity before the assaults, the men said, which involved Ward sliding his hands down their pants and continuing to touch them after they indicated they did not consent.
“You might think what happened to (the complainants) did not happen by random chance or just dumb luck,” Knowles told the jury.
“Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion.
“This is not a coincidence.”
The only reasonable explanation is both men were telling the truth, the prosecutor argued.
The evidence showed Ward had a tendency to commit sexual offences against young men in whom he had a sexual interest and who were subordinate to his position of power, the jury were told.
“These people weren’t overtaken by force, they were taken by surprise,” Knowles said.
Ward was charged in 2022 over the claims, which he denies.
His lawyers are expected to deliver their closing remarks to the jury this afternoon.
Support is available by calling 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service on 1800 211 028.
