William Alec Oldham, 44, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after earlier admitting two charges of assault.
The court heard that on September 13, the defendant, who is the managing director of his company Proforest Services Ltd, had hired a space at a Dunedin bar to host a work do.
About 9.45pm, a woman working at the function told Oldham to break up a fight between his staff.
He responded by asking her to go home with him for the night, and when she declined he pulled her in close to him and grabbed her bottom.
She pulled away and told her boss about the incident.
About two hours later, Oldham assaulted another female staff member in a similar way.
Later he grabbed the second woman’s bottom again and slid his hand up over her hips.
When spoken to by police, the defendant claimed he did not make physical contact with any women at the event.
But yesterday at sentencing, counsel John Westgate said his client had since accepted responsibility for his ‘‘inappropriate’’ behaviour.
‘‘He doesn’t try to shift blame, doesn’t use alcohol as an excuse.
‘‘He’s very embarrassed that he’s let himself down and put these women in the position they’ve found themselves in.’’
The defendant was going through personal struggles at the time and was unlikely to end up in court again, the lawyer said.
Oldham had since offered an apology to the victims through the manager of the establishment.
Judge Peter Winter called the behaviour ‘‘simply unacceptable’’ but noted the contact was fleeting.
‘‘Neither of those women deserved the attention that you gave them and neither of them deserved to be psychically assaulted in the way that they were.’’
Judge Winter fined Oldham $2000 and ordered him to pay emotional harm reparation of $750 to each victim.
