A magistrate has told a Tumbarumba businessman his comment he acted like a "d---head" for lifting a woman's dress in a bar perfectly summed-up his offending.
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Craig Edward Wilesmith, 54, pleaded guilty to assault over the incident, which occurred after he approached the woman.
He admitted to the charge in Albury Local Court after police withdrew counts of sexually touch another person without consent and offensive behaviour.
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Defence lawyer Braeden Fernandez said the incident was "extremely out-of-character" for his client, who had run a cleaning business in the town for 30 years.
"He holds a good reputation in Tumbarumba, is held in high regard," he said.
But magistrate Richard Funston was strongly critical of Wilesmith's behaviour, pointing to the accused's own admissions in the police facts "that he was a complete d---head".
Mr Funston said Wilesmith committed an "appalling" act and "it would be deeply embarrassing and traumatic for this woman to be treated like that".
"No doubt none of this would have happened without (the use of) alcohol."
The court was told Wilesmith, who was put on a two-year conditional release order without conviction, approached the victim at the Tumbarumba Hotel on the evening of February 11.
Wilesmith lifted the dress of the woman, who was there with her fiancee.
He then used a finger to pull down the top of her dress, exposing her bra and some of her breasts.
She pushed him away and swore at Wilesmith, who later texted her fiancee to apologise for being "a d---head with a beer or two".
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