Borat mankini incident ends in court

It may have seemed like a laugh at first - a man dressed in a Borat-style mankini clowning around in a public carpark.

But it wasn't so funny when the man simulated sex acts, approached three women in a car and asked if they wanted more.

Earlier this year the mankini - a revealing swimsuit made famous by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen - made headlines around the world when police banned fans wearing them at the Wellington rugby sevens tournament.

Yesterday, Taupo man Paul Steven O'Reilly's actions one Wednesday night this month had a court sequel - and ended up costing the 40 year old close to $1000.

O'Reilly was charged with offensive behaviour after the May 7 incident.

He did not have to appear in Taupo District Court yesterday when his case was called. He was convicted and fined $750 and ordered to pay court costs of $130 after previously pleading guilty in a letter.

According to a police summary of facts, the three women were parked in a carpark along Lake Terrace about 9.20pm. O'Reilly, also parked in the carpark, got out of his car and walked past the women.

They noticed he was wearing a g-string Borat style mankini and appeared to have a bare bottom. He was also wearing a large phallus-type object which protruded beneath the g-string.

The summary said the women were initially nonchalant by the actions of the man, but when he began to approach them they became worried and scared, and locked their car doors to protect themselves. O'Reilly then went on to imitate having sex. He asked the victims "Do you want more?" before being told to "go away".

Justice of the Peace Gordon Stevenson said the victim impact statements showed the three women "showed abhorrence" over O'Reilly's actions and he considered his offending to be at the top end of the scale.