Bottom grope leads to court

‘‘A fleeting touch’’ of a woman’s bottom in a New Plymouth bar has landed a man in court.

Zach Andrew Charles Bellringer was at El Fuego at Our Place around 10pm on October 12, 2018, where he was ‘‘unsteady on his feet’’ after having downed two-anda-half bottles of wine and a large glass of whiskey, an accepted Crown summary of facts stated.

The 26-year-old had been friends with his female victim for about one year and together with other friends they were socialising on the deck at the back of the bar. Bellringer was standing next to the woman when he reached up her skirt and touched her bottom over her underwear.

Immediately the woman pulled her body away and asked him: ‘‘what the f... are you doing?’’ To which Bellringer laughed.

The woman told her partner what happened and then a fight broke out between the man and Bellringer.

When spoken to by police, Bellringer said he couldn’t recall the sexual offending because he was so intoxicated at the time.

He added that in the past he had ‘‘slapped the victim on the buttocks in a playful manner and she did not mind it’’.

Bellringer pleaded guilty at a hearing in New Plymouth District Court yesterday to a charge of indecently assaulting a female over the age of 16.

Defence lawyer Nathan Bourke asked, however, that the conviction not be entered at this stage, as he would be applying for a discharge without conviction on Bellringer’s behalf.

Bourke described the incident as a ‘‘fleeting touch’’ and said Bellringer has no history of sexual offending. He asked that the matter be referred to restorative justice.

Judge Denys Barry remanded Bellringer on bail until March 23 when an application for his discharge without conviction will be heard.