Cop forced prostitute into sex - court

A former-Christchurch policeman is in on trial for extorting free sex from a prostitute - on several occasions in the back of his patrol car.

Justice French lifted suppression on the name and former occupation of Nathan Thorose Connolly at the start of his High Court trial in Christchurch today.

He is charged with one count of corruptly obtaining a bribe and two charges of compelling sexual conduct knowing consent had been obtained through a threat.

Connolly, a traffic unit constable, had been paying the Manchester St prostitute for sex for some years before she knew he was a police officer, Crown prosecutor Anne Toohey told the court.

After a chance meeting in the Christchurch Central Police Station, records showed Connolly looked the woman up on the police computer.

In December 2006, Connolly, in his patrol car, pulled the woman over while she was driving home.

He told her he could give her $1000-worth of fines for her unwarranted and unregistered car.

He did not fine her but rather took her in his marked police car to a cemetery in Belfast where they had sex.

In contrast to their previous encounters, no money changed hands.

Free sex continued for almost a year afterwards.

The Crown says Connolly used his position of power and the threat of the fines to get the sex for free.

The prostitute did not ask for any money as she knew none was forthcoming, Toohey said.

Defence counsel Jonathan Eaton said Connolly admitted he had made huge professional and moral errors but he was not guilty of a crime.

"This was not a case of free sex for tickets."

The defence would say that the complainant agreed to the sex and enjoyed it because it was "kinky" having sex with a policeman.

Connolly never said anything threatening and the prostitute never asked for money, Eaton said.

There was also no suggestion there was ever any exchange along the lines of the prostitute saying "You pay" and him saying "No, you owe me", Eaton said.

The trial is scheduled for four days.

- © Fairfax NZ News