On November 3rd 2007, Shellay Ward (also known as Ebony) was found dead at her family home in Hawks Nest. Her mother, thirty seven year old Sharon Ward discovered her body at around 7am and cradled her till 11am when her father, forty six year old Blake Ward finished his online morning gambling sessions found them.

Sharon Ward took a Valium and a Panadol and retired to bed. The police weren’t called until 1pm that day.

Shellay Ward spent the final years of her life living in squalor. Neighbours reported the girl never left the house and lived in a boarded up room thick with the stench of urine and piles of feces.

The Wards were known to the Department of Children Service (DOCS) for fourteen years prior to Shellay’s death. Multiple concerns had been raised and DOCS had removed two of Shellay’s siblings two years prior to her death.

Somehow Shellay still slipped through the cracks.

When found, seven year old Shellay’s body weighed just 9kg. She was described as having a mummified appearance with bullants crawling in and out of her mouth. Black vomit oozed from her body into a puddle on her filthy matress.

Despite weighing a healthy 20.5kg back in February 2006, Shellay’s parents have strenously denied she died of starvation. Between the two of them they have blamed everything from drugs, eachother, Shellay’s fear of water and autism in an attempt to deny responsibility for her death.

They even tried to flee once the story broke but were apprehended at a Albion Park train station in Woolongong.

During their trial Blake Ward publicly admitted lying to many statements he’d made as fact under oath. These included blaming his wife for the death of Shellay and telling the court Shellay regularly ate large meals. Sharon also eventually publicly admitted to lying about her daughter’s meals.

Sharon however was not as outspoken as her husband during the trial but rather took the calculated route of blaming drug dependency, admitting to lying to doctors about her drug use and admitting she “didn’t do enough” for Shellay.

She told the court through her lawyer that she would not contest manslaughter for the death of her daughter.

The horrific conditions Shellay lived under and the absolute circus performance that Sharon and Blake Ward have put on for the courts is sickenly disgusting.

It took seven days of deliberation until finally on June 24th the jury passed two guilty verdicts for the couple. Sharon Ward guilty on the charge of murder and Blake Ward guilty of manslaughter.

Upon receiving the news both parties lawyers announced they would be dragging out the mental illness defense before sentencing. Blake’s lawyers asked for a six week adjournment to put together a defense but Sharon’s lawyers had already prepared one earlier.

Presumably Sharon’s lawyers started preparing the defense months ago as they didn’t just have one report on Sharon’s mental state but two – all ready to go.

The mental illness defense was realistically the only card these two dropkicks ever had a hope in playing. Mental illness is notorious for being an effective scapegoat in Australian courts and has the universal effect of reducing severe crimes to mere lollipop sentences.

It was no surprise to then read that on June 25th (the day after they were found guilty) that Sharon Ward’s sentencing had also been postponed until August. It seems her lawyers were going for maximum mental illness leverage. Firstly declare you’re ready to go and then the day after claim your client is too distraught to continue in a vein attempt to show remorse.

How stupid did Sharon’s lawyers think everyone was?

Thankfully justice prevailed today and Sharon Ward was sentenced to life in jail.

Blake Ward was found guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years.

With all the rubbish sentences being handed down lately it’s refreshing to see some real justice handed out.

I know it won’t last but at least for now it feels like one set of parents have been held accountable for their actions. Not the government, not society and not their mental issues.

RIP Shellay Ward.

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