The ex-Ashurst associate charged with sexual assault and racially aggravated common assault for drunkenly spanking an Australian has been found guilty.
Alastair Main, who left Ashurst in 2012 and now works for Schroders, poured his beer over a 27-year-old woman at The London Rowing Club's Christmas dinner in 2015 when she refused to give him a hug. He also called her an "Australian slut".
Later in the evening the Nottingham Law School graduate followed the woman into the toilets where he slapped her repeatedly on the bum and tried to pull up her skirt. When she left the rowing club he gave chase and spanked her behind again. The next day he apologised by text, claiming he had behaved poorly because she had "rejected" him.
Although Main admitted pouring a pint over the woman and calling her a slut, he denied branding her an Australian. He claimed that he followed her to the toilets because, "I was in shock about what happened and felt remorse as I had soaked her with beer" and "I wanted to say sorry to her". He told the court he was "7/10 drunk" at the time, and that while he did slap her on the bum, it was "cheeky" and "flirty".
District Judge Barnes did not find Main's account plausible, telling him, "You were pursuing her because you were angry". She said his bum-slapping was "sexual in nature" and "at no point was this simply flirtatious or cheeky".
Married Main said in the dock of Wimbledon Magistrates Court that he was "ashamed of himself" and had "behaved like a fool". He will be sentenced later this month.
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Alastair Main, who left Ashurst in 2012 and now works for Schroders, poured his beer over a 27-year-old woman at The London Rowing Club's Christmas dinner in 2015 when she refused to give him a hug. He also called her an "Australian slut".
Later in the evening the Nottingham Law School graduate followed the woman into the toilets where he slapped her repeatedly on the bum and tried to pull up her skirt. When she left the rowing club he gave chase and spanked her behind again. The next day he apologised by text, claiming he had behaved poorly because she had "rejected" him.
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Although Main admitted pouring a pint over the woman and calling her a slut, he denied branding her an Australian. He claimed that he followed her to the toilets because, "I was in shock about what happened and felt remorse as I had soaked her with beer" and "I wanted to say sorry to her". He told the court he was "7/10 drunk" at the time, and that while he did slap her on the bum, it was "cheeky" and "flirty".
District Judge Barnes did not find Main's account plausible, telling him, "You were pursuing her because you were angry". She said his bum-slapping was "sexual in nature" and "at no point was this simply flirtatious or cheeky".
Married Main said in the dock of Wimbledon Magistrates Court that he was "ashamed of himself" and had "behaved like a fool". He will be sentenced later this month.