Former Ipswich Mayor Paul John Pisasale was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison on Thursday following his plea of guilty to 35 charges including corruption, fraud, perjury and sexual assault last week. He will be eligible for parole after 27 months.

Pisasale, who has spent the last 14 months in the Wolston Correctional Centre, told the Ipswich Magistrates Court last Thursday, he was apologetic toward his family, friends and the ‘beautiful people of Ipswich’.

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

During investigations in 2017, Mr Pisasale’s phone was intercepted by authorities for official corruption resulting in a previous sentencing for extortion. During this time, the sexual assault allegations were identified, and further investigations began.

Last week, before his teary apology, the court heard the former Mayor exploited council money, used council money to attend a concert, deposited $26,000 into his personal bank account and sexually assaulted his victim in the council chambers in December 2017.

Reading from the victim impact statement, Crown Prosecutor Sarah Farnden said the victim described the experience as traumatic, felt uncomfortable and was ‘unsure how to react’.

A day after a raid conducted by the Crime and Corruption Commission in 2017, the Ipswich City Mayor of 13 years, publicly announced his resignation due to multiple sclerosis health complications, while wearing a dressing gown during a press conference he organised at St Andrews Hospital.

"When multiple sclerosis starts affecting your judgement and ability to do your job 100% it's time to look after it”, he said in the press conference in 2017.

The Guardian and Tribune understand that Mr Pisasale was diagnosed with MS five years prior to commencing his role as Mayor in 2004.