Some satisfaction in suing sex worker

A FRUSTRATED customer who spent two years trying to sue a prostitute for a refund has had a restraining order overturned.

The man, identified in court papers as Mr N, filed for compensation and damages against sex worker Ms M, claiming she breached a contract when she ended their session at Auckland’s Pelican Club one hour early.

Mr N was a regular client of Ms M’s for two months but the relation- ship soured during their last meeting in February 2012 when she discovered he had been trying to track down her personal details.

Mr N was asked to leave and banned from the club. Court documents show that in the following days he made several unwelcome attempts to visit her at the venue and in May that year hired a private investigator to find Ms M’s real name and phone number, before calling her and sending her text messages.

Ms M applied

for

a

restraining order, which was granted by the court, barring Mr N from contacting her for five years.

A High Court judgment handed down last week showed there were 25 alleged breaches of that order within 12 months.

On one occasion a phone call was made to Ms M’s mother to ask her for her daughter’s address. Mr N denied making the call but conceded it may have been the private investigator.

Justice Ailsa Duffy said Ms M had deliberately kept her employment at the Pelican Club from her family and friends and ‘‘ naturally she would have been upset’’ about her mother finding out. Duffy described the repeated attempts to find out her personal details and talk to her as persistent and unlawful.

In reviewing the appeal of the restraining order Duffy said the initial order was warranted, however she said the five- year period imposed was excessive and ruled that the order be reduced to 12 months, and set aside because it had been served.