A former detective who said he illegally accessed police data because he feared he was associating with a bikie gang member has been spared an immediate jail term.
Christopher Graham Bonython pleaded guilty in South Australia's District Court to improperly using information he gained through public office with the intention of securing a benefit for himself in November 2012.
The 42-year-old, of Henley Beach, also has admitted possession of a drug similar to cocaine.
On Friday, Judge Gordon Barrett imposed a suspended nine-month jail term and a $1000 fine.
Bonython served 23 years in the police force before resigning in May.
His lawyer had told the court Bonython had long-term mental health problems resulting from traumatic experiences in his job.
He accessed the data after becoming worried that a man with whom he socialised was linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs.
The traumas he experienced in his job included saving a woman from being stabbed, dealing with the suicide of his boss, attending the autopsy of a murdered boy and having to tell families of the death of their loved ones.
