A prominent businessman has been sentenced to two years and four months’ in prison for indecently assaulting three men on separate occasions between the early 2000s and 2016.
The wealthy and well-known New Zealander, who cannot be named because of a suppression order, is also convicted of attempting to dissuade one of the men from giving evidence on two occasions, by offering him a bribe of $15,000 as well as future work opportunities.
He was found guilty of the indecent assault offences in March and was on Thursday sentenced to two years and four months in prison.
During the sentencing, which took place at the High Court at Auckland on Thursday morning, Justice Geoffrey Venning said the businessman’s offending was controlled and brazen.
"You were prepared to pay significant amounts of money."
During the businessman’s four week trial, which began in February, the court heard from each of the three male complainants.
One of the men said he was indecently assaulted when he went to the prominent New Zealander’s house to discuss a potential business opportunity.
He told the court the businessman told him to stay for dinner and afterwards gave him a tour of his house, which ended in his bedroom.
The complainant described the businessman’s behaviour as ‘utterly creepy’.
“It was one of those moments you experience in life where every cell in your body is saying it’s time to go,” he said.
As the man walked out of the room, he said the businessman grabbed his backside and kissed his neck.
Another man, who also visited the businessman’s house to discuss work, told the court that when he had tried to leave, the wealthy New Zealander had thrust one hand down the front of his pants, grabbing his genitals.
The third complainant was staying at the businessman’s house in 2016 when he became violently ill with food poisoning and went to bed. The man told the court the businessman came into his room completely naked, and later got into the bed with him, touching his genitals and body.
The businessman’s business manager, as well as New Zealand entertainer Mika X, have already both been sentenced to home detention for their part in a plot to convince the man to drop his complaint.
