A former policeman said to have had free sex from a woman in exchange for turning a blind eye to her driving offences went on trial in the High Court at Christchurch today.
Nathan Thorose Connolly, 31, pleaded not guilty to two charges of inducing sexual connection by threat and one charge of bribery.
Crown prosecutor Anne Toohey said that Connolly had been a regular paying client of the sex worker for about two years but in December 2006 found a way to enjoy the same services free.
She said Connolly accepted free sex in return for not taking action on driving offences.
The unnamed sex worker, 35, said after first meeting Connolly she saw him two or three times a month - for cash.
She added she first realised he was a police officer when she picked up her boyfriend from the central police station and saw him there in uniform.
Miss Toohey said that Connolly later stopped the woman's car using flashing lights and told her he could issue her tickets for driving offences.
The sex worker said Connolly told her "it would be a grand's worth of tickets and your car towed".
Defence lawyer Jonathan Eaton said every other time the woman asked to be paid and the one time she didn't, Connolly didn't offer.
Mr Eaton said there was no suggestion they had sex for tickets.
Ms Toohey said that after a complaint from one of the woman's friends, police interviewed Connolly who claimed he was recruiting the sex worker as an informant.
Yet he neither gave her contact details nor the name of a supervising officer as he should have.
Half way through the interview he admitted that he had had sexual favours.
Mr Eaton said the accused had suffered the guilt and shame of bringing disrespect to the police, his colleagues and a career to which he was devoted as well as the distress, harm and humiliation inflicted on his family.
"He is guilty of morally indefensible behaviour but that is the extent of his guilt. We are not a court of morals, we are a court of criminal behaviour. There was no underlying threat at the heart of this seedy, improper relationship."
The trial before Justice Christine French is expected to take four days.
