Gisborne man Lachlan McDonald pleads guilty to sexual assault

A Gisborne fencer and father of four forced himself on a woman after she refused sex for money, a court has heard.

Lachlan McDonald pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman.

A fencing contractor and father of four told a woman he sexually assault she had given him “blue balls” after she refused to have sexual intercourse with him.

New Gisborne man Lachlan McDonald, 43, pleaded guilty at Bendigo Magistrates’ court on Thursday to sexually assaulting a woman.

The court heard McDonald became progressively more aggressive with his sexual advances towards the victim between December 2019 and February 2020.

McDonald began kissing the victim on the cheek when he was with her, before starting to kiss her on the lips, during “persistent” assaults against the victim.

The harassment culminated in a serious sexual assault in late February when he took advantage of the “somewhat vulnerable” woman while her partner wasn’t home.

The court heard he forced himself on the victim, kissing her on the mouth and trying to force his tongue into her mouth.

Lachlan McDonald sexually assaulted a woman. Picture: Tinnakorn Jorruang.

McDonald said “excuses, excuses” while she protested that he was hurting her as he forced his body against her.

McDonald told the victim he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her and offered her money when she refused.

McDonald then climbed on top of her and sexually assaulted her, telling her to “put your hand on my c--k”.

The grub eventually got off the victim, telling her “you’ve given me blue balls now” as he left.

The victim said in a statement that she was left “rattled and shaken” by the assault and was afraid of McDonald.

She said she was left traumatised, often crying for no reason and feeling unsafe when she left the house.

McDonald’s defence lawyer told the court his client was a “good man” who was a productive member of the community, running his own fencing businesses in New Gisborne.

The court heard Mr McDonald was a supportive father of four children from his previous marriage and was supported in court by his new wife.

Mr McDonald’s lawyer said the offender had lived in “mental anguish” since the charges had been hanging over his head for four years.

Mr McDonald was assessed for a community corrections order and will be sentenced in November. He remains on bail.