A farmer groped a fellow curler during the final moments of a curling match – to distract a rival from playing the winning shot.
George Elder insisted he had only wrapped his arm around the woman, but was found guilty of sexually assaulting her yesterday.
The 63-year-old, of Barleymill Farm, Brodie, near Forres, grabbed the woman’s breast during the bonspiel at Inverness Ice Centre last February.
His victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told Inverness Sheriff Court that Elder had fondled her in an apparent attempt to distract his opponents and win the match.
She told fiscal depute David Morton: “He (Elder) gave me a cuddle and said ‘let’s see if we can put him off’. Then he grabbed my breast without warning.
“I pushed his hand away and said ‘that’s enough of that, you’. I could see another player had seen it and I went over to confirm it.
“When I saw George in the gallery later, I told him that his behaviour was entirely inappropriate. He apologised.”
Cross-examined by defence lawyer John MacColl, the woman denied it could have been an accident.
She added: “I didn’t have a problem with anyone giving me a cuddle but it was deliberate contact with my breast. It was not a matter of him putting a hand across my chest to give me that cuddle and accidentally touch my breast.
“I didn’t report it at first because I wanted to take some advice at first.”
Two other players at the rink that afternoon, Amy Macdonald and Gregor Ewen also gave evidence and said they believed the act was intentional.
Chemistry student Miss Macdonald, 18, said: “George came up to distract the player who was about to play the winning shot. He and the woman didn’t really know each other, they were just acquaintances.
“He put his hand on her chest and touched her breast. I did not see it as a joke and she didn’t see the funny side of it.”
Joiner Mr Ewen, 21, agreed with Mr MacColl that Elder was joking about and had “a drink in him”, but added: “He intentionally grabbed her breast.”
But giving evidence during the two-hour trial, Elder insisted he was “unaware” he had touched the woman inappropriately.
He said: “If I touched her breast, I was unaware of it. I put my hand round her waist and if I did touch her breast it was accidental and unintentional. Rather than make a scene at the gallery bar, I just apologised to her.
“I was stunned when the police came to my door. I told the officer that I didn’t do what I was accused of.”
But Sheriff Chris Dickson rejected his evidence, and found the him guilty.
He placed the first-offender on the sex offenders’ register, and deferred sentenced for background reports. The farmer will reappear on February 12.