A "very paranoid" detective illegally accessed police data to see if a man with whom he socialised was linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs, an Adelaide court has been told.
Christopher Graham Bonython was severely unwell and wanted to ensure that the man was not so far on the wrong side of the law that he should not be interacting with him, his lawyer Heath Barklay said.
Bonython, 42, of Henley Beach, has 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.
He also has admitted possession of a drug similar to cocaine.
During sentencing submissions on Friday, Mr Barklay asked the judge for mercy and leniency, submitting he should not accede to the prosecution's call for an immediate jail term.
Bonython, who served 23 years in the police force before resigning in May, had long-term mental health problems resulting from traumatic experiences in his job.
He became very paranoid and very worried about getting into trouble, Mr Barklay said.
Bonython had now lost his job and suffered the humiliation of being put on the news, which was how his parents first found out about the case.
"The police force has disowned him," the lawyer said.
A bail requirement banned him from having contact with police officers, but they had formed a very large part of his community life over the past 23 years.
The enormous trauma 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.
The matter was adjourned to next week.
