Rugby captain jailed for sex assault

A rugby club captain who got into bed with a drunken player after a night out and sexually assaulted him has been jailed.

Ronald Forsyth, 50, formerly club captain and a team manager of Ashburton's Allenton Rugby Club, was sentenced in Timaru District Court yesterday to eight years imrisonment by Judge Colin Doherty, The Timaru Herald reported.

He was earlier found guilty by a jury of indecent assault, and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.

The court was told that the pair had been socialising together in June last year and the player got very drunk and had to be taken home.

He later woke up to find Forsyth in his bed touching him. He ran from the room.

Crown prosecutor Andrew McRae submitted that the offending involved a pre-meditated serious sexual assault on a vulnerable, intoxicated and sleeping victim.

Among the aggravating features were the unlawful presence in the house, the emotional harm to the victim, his vulnerability, and the breach of trust as Forsyth was club captain.

The victim impact report showed that since the incident he had suffered from anxiety attacks, humiliation, and was having to undergo intensive counselling.

He had to take time off work, which resulted in financial loss, and he did not want to return because of the stress of everyone knowing, so was considering moving away.

Mr McRae said there was also pre-meditation in the offending as Forsyth was fully aware the victim was intoxicated and sick from alcohol, and that he had been taken home.

Defence counsel Liz Bulger said Forsyth went to the player's house to return the wallet.

He did not accept the verdicts of the jury, as he still denied the offending ever took place, but did accept he must be sentenced on them.

- NZPA