Disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire sentenced after lying to ICAC probe

Disgraced ex-MP Daryl Maguire has been jailed after he was found guilty of giving misleading evidence to ICAC.

Maguire, 66, appeared at Sydney Central District Court on Wednesday,dressed neatly in a suit and tie, after he was in June found guilty by a magistrate of one count of giving false or misleading evidence at a public inquiry.

The former Wagga Wagga MP had pleaded not guilty to the charge, which related to his evidence before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in July 2018.

On Wednesday, Magistrate Clare Farnan sentenced him to a 10-month jail term.

He was soon put in handcuffs and taken into custody.

The former Liberal Pary MP will be eligible for parole in January.

In sentencing, Ms Farnan told the court the misleading evidence given by Maguire concerned his dealings with a multimillion-dollar property development.

“The evidence there was nothing in it for him was misleading … and he was to receive a commission if the property was to be sold,” she said.

Ms Farnan said Maguire was “clearly trying to protect his reputation among other things”.

“The community is entitled to expect that those who hold power will conduct themselves with integrity,” she said.

Maguire has maintained his innocence, saying he answered the ICAC questions to the best of his ability.

He is expected to file an appeal, with the court expected to resume on Wednesday morning before Ms Farnan to hear details of the appeal.

Ms Farnan said Maguire had displayed no remorse for his actions, though he had no history of similar offending and his likelihood of reoffending remained low.

“The need for general deterrence does require a period of full-time imprisonment,” she said.

While a 12-month stint behind bars was initially to be ordered, Maguire was offered a two-month discount due to delays in the court proceedings.

Ms Farnan also took into account the impact of “significant media interest” in the case on the 66-year-old’s mental health.

The small courtroom was packed with members of the media on Wednesday, who watched on closely as Maguire was taken into custody.

During the ICAC probe, Maguire denied asking to receive a financial benefit for brokering a property deal at Canterbury.

However in recorded phone conversations, the former MP admitted he had asked for a slice of the profits if the multimillion-dollar deal with a Chinese developer was finalised.

Maguire was found guilty of the charge in June.

The former Wagga Wagga MP resigned from the NSW parliament in 2018 after ICAC launched a separate investigation into his conduct while in office.

The inquiry revealed he had been in a secret five-year “close personal relationship” with ex-premier Gladys Berejiklian.

She resigned from her position in September 2021 after ICAC announced it would investigate whether she breached the ministerial code of conduct.

The commission found in July 2023 that both Maguire and Ms Berejiklian engaged in serious corrupt conduct.

More to come