Mount Maunganui car salesman Alan Spiers is convicted on a charge of assaulting Fair Go presenter Gordon Harcourt outside his Totara Street yard in July.

He's been ordered to pay $1573 reparation to Gordon Harcourt within 14 days and also to pay reparation of $616.80 on a charge of intentionally damaging the viewfinder of a video camera.

Alan Spiers pictured in Tauranga District Court today during sentencing.

Spiers was also ordered to pay court costs of $132.89 on each charge.

Spiers appeared for sentence today in the Tauranga District Court after pleading guilty in August.

Judge Rollo declined an application by lawyer Bill Nabney to discharge Spiers without conviction.

Spiers assaulted Gordon Harcourt outside the yard, punching him about the head and face, 'a couple or three times,” says prosecutor Police Senior Sergeant Barry Woon.

Spiers, who was accompanied by two salesmen from the yard, then damaged the camera.

Representing Spiers, lawyer Bill Nabney says Spiers and his family had received abusive phone calls and a death threat on his grandson following a previous segment Gordon Harcourt had done on his car sales yard.

The judge says Spiers was entitled to escort the camera crew off the yard's forecourt and he could have left it at that.

The judge referred to 47 testimonials from customers, friends and family attesting to Spiers' integrity and good character.

See video below of Fair Go presenter Gordon Harcourt giving his view of Spiers' sentence.

Judge Rollo agreed that discharges without conviction have been granted for more serious offences, and that the judgement would be on the facts of the case rather than the charge itself.

The offence took place on the footpath.

The victim doesn't accept that he went onto the car sales yard.

Supported by his staff, Spiers began a violent confrontation, punching Gordon Harcourt three times in the head.

Judge Rollo convicted Spiers because he said Spiers also had to stand with every other person who comes before the district court accused of violence.

The community was entitled to see that people convicted of similar offences received similar treatment.

He was not satisfied that the impact of a conviction would be out of all proportion to the gravity of the offence.