A Charleston man was "rocked to the core" when his pants were pulled down at a public event, a court has heard.
Keith Rodney Ewers, 64, a bushman who was also a resident of the West Coast village, was sentenced in the Gore District Court last week on a charge of assault in relation to the incident on September 22 last year.
Judge Russell Walker said Ewers and the victim were attending the event along with about 50 members of the community.
The embarrassed and infuriated victim turned around and confronted Ewers, who did not show any remorse.
"It's clear that what you thought was some sort of prank, had serious flow-on consequences for your victim."
Judge Walker said the victim’s impact statement was "extremely and intensely personal to him" and he would not read it out in court.
However, the victim had found the incident "extremely triggering" given his past experiences.
Ewers’ "impulsive and thoughtless" act set off serious consequences for the victim.
"To use the victim's words, your behaviour has rocked him to the core."
The case was transferred to Gore earlier this year because Ewers was working for a logging company in the area.
However, he would soon return to Charleston to live, which meant the sentencing had to be the end of the matter, Judge Walker said.
"You’re both going to be in Charleston, you’re going to have to get on."
Appearing by audiovisual link from Westport, counsel Doug Taffs said there had been a "frank exchange of views" during a restorative justice meeting between the pair.
The defendant accepted he had acted "improperly and stupidly", and had apologised sincerely.
Judge Walker said Ewers had a criminal history, but it had been 38 years since his last assault conviction.
Although the victim would probably feel the outcome was unjust, he was bound by the sentencing limitations of the charge, which had been downgraded from indecent assault.
He convicted Ewers, sentenced him to 50 hours’ community work, and ordered him to pay the victim reparation of $750 for emotional harm.
