A Balclutha teenager thought it was funny that he made a secret sex tape and shared it with friends.
The court heard that on June 24 last year, the defendant and a woman were at an establishment in Balclutha.
About 11.30pm, they went to his house where he filmed some of their sexual interaction without her knowledge. Solomon sent the video to a friend via Snapchat.
At a gathering a few months later, the victim’s friend told her about the video.
The victim confronted Solomon, who said he had deleted the footage.
When spoken to by police, the defendant said he was drunk and offered no explanation for making the video.
On August 25, Solomon was at a friend’s house, drinking with a group of people.
He picked up a pair of vice grips and threw them at a woman’s face, cutting her cheek and causing bleeding in her mouth.
The defendant again told police he was drunk and did not know why he had assaulted the victim.
Judge Jim Large acknowledged Solomon had issues with alcohol use and his attitude toward women.
"Initially you thought what you did to [the woman you recorded] was funny", the judge said.
"You perhaps thought it was a bit of a lark or a lads thing to do, but you had no consideration of how publication would affect your victim."
The judge said the restorative justice meeting with the victim would have been uncomfortable for the defendant but he was impressed by the remorse he demonstrated there.
"Your discomfort would have been nothing to her embarrassment when she realised that people in your community, some of her peers, would have seen that material."
The victim of the assault said she was now wary of Solomon and thought he was "unpredictable and unable to empathise".
Counsel Brendan Stephenson said his client was abusing alcohol at the time of his offending to the point where drinking became a competition with his colleagues.
"These proceedings have had a profound attitude change in Mr Solomon", Mr Stephenson said.
He pointed to the defendant’s youth, prior good character and lack of prior convictions.
Judge Large sentenced Solomon to two months’ community detention, 60 hours’ community work and 12 months’ intensive supervision.
"Mark my words, if you keep drinking, you’ll keep offending", the judge warned.
felicity.dear@odt.co.nz , PIJF court reporter
