Former South West MP jailed

A former Member of Parliament for the South West Region has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.

James Dorrin Hayward, 55, was convicted for instructing an eight-year-old girl to engage in inappropriate touching on two separate occasions.

Hayward, a former Nationals upper house member, was found to have committed these offences between 2019 and 2021, before he was elected to the Upper House at the 2021 State Election.

The District Court in Perth was told these incidents took place when he was tucking the girl into bed.

In both a police interview and pre-recorded testimony, the child confirmed the allegations, describing how “James unbuttoned his pants” and instructed her to keep their interactions a secret.

Justice Stephen Lemonis stated that Hayward’s actions represented a significant betrayal of trust, undertaken to satisfy his own sexual desires. The judge further noted that there was no evidence to suggest that Hayward had gained insight into the underlying reasons for his behavior.

During his trial in August, it was revealed that the girl’s family had been aware that the former television producer often read bedtime stories to her. Initially, her mother had no concerns about this.

However, an older sibling discovered the girl watching explicit content on her iPad and recorded her statement that Hayward had shown her how to search for such material and had abused her. This revelation prompted an investigation.

Upon learning of the allegations, Hayward sent a “suicide note” to his wife, who, out of concern for his safety, forwarded it to the police.

In the note, he admitted, “In the coming days, I expect to be accused of child sex assault in relation to (a child), which I have done”. He also referenced a prior warning from his wife about getting into bed with the girl, fearing accusations of abuse.

During a police interview, Hayward contended that the note was not a confession, but rather an intention to take his own life to shield his and the victim’s family from the anticipated media scrutiny following the public disclosure of the accusations. He expressed a desire to prevent his wife from blaming the victim for his death, with the aim of preserving the close relationship between the two families.

Hayward also cited significant pressure and depression stemming from a failed former business, which owed $440,000 to the tax office, as factors that led to the writing of the note.

Although Hayward was acquitted of two other charges related to indecently dealing with a child under 13, including showing her how to access explicit content on the internet, he resigned from the WA Nationals after the charges were filed in 2021. Nevertheless, he continued to serve in the state’s upper house as an independent MP.

Following his conviction, Hayward was formally disqualified from Western Australia’s parliament, resulting in the vacating of his seat.

He will be eligible for parole after serving 16 and a half months of his sentence.

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