Questions Over Mayor’s Political Career

A little more than a month before local council elections, the Liberal Party’s stronghold on the Hawkesbury is set to be tested amid a high-profile domestic dispute involving Mayor Sarah McMahon, thrusting her into national headlines for all the wrong reasons.

McMahon was arrested on July 14 for unlawfully entering her ex-boyfriend Matthew Bennett’s business premises, searching for evidence of him cheating. The next day, she returned to Windsor Police Station with her own domestic violence allegations against Bennett.

The Police Incident Report (PIR) tendered to Windsor Court said that on the evening of July 14, McMahon, suspecting Bennett of cheating, scoured the Hawkesbury for him, visiting his mother’s house, sister’s house, a friend’s house, and ultimately Bennett’s business premises at 286 Windsor Street, Richmond.

Once inside she accessed his computer and sent a photo to Bennett. Realising she was in his premises, Bennett remotely accessed his security camera and called the police. McMahon was arrested, placed in a police vehicle, and later served with an AVO.

On July 15, McMahon returned to Windsor Police Station, accusing Bennett of a string of domestic violence offenses over a number of years, including knocking her off her feet and smashing furniture in their home.

McMahon alleges that at their home in 2023, Bennett swung a Nike bag at her, causing her to fall and injure her thigh. She states that Bennett then told her to “get up and stop faking it.” McMahon further claims that Bennett pinned her to a bed while yelling at her and caused over $1000 worth of damage to their shared home. In June 2024, McMahon claimed Bennett threw a glass at a wall in the kitchen during a verbal argument, smashing the glass, estimated to be worth $2.

The allegations led to Bennett being served with an interim AVO. “Police fear that the defendant (McMahon) will escalate and commit further offenses towards the victim (Bennett),” the police report said. No charges have been laid against Bennett or McMahon in relation to either matter.

Lawyers representing McMahon and Bennett re-appeared at Windsor Local Court on August 1. Both parties had their interim apprehended violence orders (AVOs) against each other extended. McMahon’s AVO will remain in effect until her court appearance on September 19, while Bennett’s extends until his February 6 court date.

The timing could not be worse for McMahon, who was expected to run in the No.1 spot on the Liberal Party ticket in the September 14 local council elections. That now seems doubtful, with insiders questioning the wisdom of her return to a public role. The Mayor has not made a public appearance or attended Council meetings since her arrest.

The Liberal Party, once dominant in the Hawkesbury, has seen its brand diminish. Liberal Party nominations for the Federal seat of Macquarie remain open, suggesting no options or dissatisfaction with current options. McMahon has failed to win Macquarie twice. Before the 2021 election it was the most marginal seat in Australia, today it is a safe Labor seat.

Locally, the Party has struggled amid links to property developers and an unofficial alliance with Labor councillors.

Hawkesbury City Council has not disclosed whether McMahon has taken a leave of absence. The Liberal Party has also refused to comment.