2 Mar 2010

Former officer who coerced prostitute appeals

3:16 pm on 2 March 2010

The Court of Appeal has reserved its decision in relation to a former Christchurch police officer's conviction for coercing a prostitute to have sex with him.

Nathan Connolly, 31, was jailed for two years in December last year but maintains his innocence.

Connolly had been a regular customer of the woman. But she was not aware that he was an officer until meeting him in uniform at a police station in 2005.

Between 2006 and 2007, Connolly coerced her into having sex with him in a marked car while in uniform in return for him not issuing her with $1000 worth of traffic fines.

Connolly's defence argued that the former officer did not at any time threaten the woman with the tickets and appealed against his conviction.

But the Crown says the woman never offered free sex and it was the threat of tickets that lead to her agreeing to sex with Connolly.

The Court of Appeal judges in Wellington reserved their decision.