A Blenheim man who had been drinking assaulted a woman and her boyfriend after the woman rejected his advances and complained about him harassing her.

Taniela Manu Kaloni, 52, a labourer of Redwoodtown admitted two charges of assault after the incident at The Loft Bar in Blenheim on Saturday.

In the Blenheim District Court yesterday, police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said Kaloni was at the bar when he approached a woman and began dancing, pressing his body up against her and grinding.

The woman asked Kaloni to go away and he left, but returned a few minutes later and began grinding up against the woman again. She called security, who took Kaloni downstairs.

While they were speaking to him the woman and her boyfriend walked past and she confirmed to the guards Kaloni was the man who had been harassing her.

Kaloni grabbed her tightly by the wrist and began to twist her arm leaving her with bruising and a minor sprain, Mr Single said.

Kaloni then attempted to punch the woman.

The blow was blocked by the woman's boyfriend and Kaloni grabbed him by the throat, leaving red marks.

When he was later spoken to by police, Kaloni said he could not remember the incident because of how drunk he had been at the time.

Defence lawyer Kent Arnott said Kaloni was embarrassed by his behaviour and remorseful when he found out about the incident.

He had accepted he had a problem with alcohol and voluntarily stopped drinking.

Judge Tony Zohrab sentenced Kaloni to six months' supervision to undergo drug and alcohol counselling and 40 hours' community work and ordered him to pay $500 to the victims for emotional harm.

- The Marlborough Express