Former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale has been sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting a woman in his mayoral chambers and corruption.

September 30, 2020

A former mayor will spend at least another 27 months behind bars after luring a young woman to a Queensland council’s chambers and sexually assaulting her.

Paul Pisasale is already in prison for extortion after posing as a private investigator to help a prostitute friend.

The 69-year-old on Wednesday was sentenced for a further seven-and-a-half years’ imprisonment – eligible for parole after 27 months – for 35 offences stemming from his time in office.

These include fraud, official corruption, accepting a secret commission, perjury, unlawful drug possession and two counts of sexual assault.

The popular former politician, who was known as “Mr Ipswich”, admitted forcibly kissing and touching a 23-year-old woman in his mayoral chambers at the Ipswich City Council in December 2016.

“You preyed upon an innocent young woman subjecting to your unwanted advances,” Judge Dennis Lynch said.

“This conduct was persistent and involved an abuse of the authority of your position as mayor for your own sexual satisfaction.”

Pisasale promised to help the woman’s career before luring her to the council building where he dressed her in his mayoral robes, photographed and assaulted her.

The official corruption charge relates to Pisasale agreeing to champion a Yamanto real estate project while mayor by influencing council workers and contractors.

He was promised millions of dollars if sales went ahead as planned but he never received the money.

What he actually got was the services of escorts and over $4000 in cash payments.

The secret commission charge follows Pisasale corruptly accepting $28,500 from a property developer after helping to push a development approval through council.

“Each of these offences involves calculated dishonesty in betrayal of your position,” Judge Lynch said of the corruption and secret commission charges.

“These offences undermine the integrity of our system of local government.”

He appeared in Ipswich District Court court via video-link and sat motionless in prison greens as Judge Lynch handed down the sentence.

Pisasale was also sentenced for disobedience to statute law and unlawfully possessing two bottles of Sildenafil, which is often sold under the brand name Viagra.

The perjury conviction followed a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation that started in October 2017.

Pisasale gave false testimony at a CCC hearing about carrying packages from interstate for barrister Sam Di Carlo.

A raft of fraud charges relate to Ipswich City Council property and money.

Pisasale had his assistant deposit $26,000 in donations into a personal bank account instead of disbursing it to the intended beneficiaries.

He also pocketed $55,000 worth of tools that were supposed to be donated to local men’s sheds

Pisasale spent $4322 of council money to travel to concerts in Sydney and Melbourne.

He also applied to his own use charity auction items, including sporting memorabilia, a barbecue, kitchen appliances, artwork, photographs, decorative items and whiskey.

“Your shameless self promotion saw $53,127 of council funds spent on items at auctions, some of which you put to your own benefit,” Judge Lynch said

Pisasale read an apology to the court during his previous appearance, saying he started out trying to help the “beautiful people of Ipswich” but personal “obsession and a lack of judgment” took over during a “dark period of his life”.

“My mind and ego took over and my behaviour was out of control,” he said.

“I am not a bad person but I have made some very bad decisions.”

Pisasale was credited with the “renaissance” of Ipswich during his tenure as mayor from 2004 to 2017.

He resigned in June 2017 after 13 years in the position following a CCC raid at his office and home.

Pisasale was previously sentenced to two years’ prison, suspended after 12 months, after he was convicted of extortion in 2019.